Object of Desire

I need this bag. 

They sell it at House of Fraser if you want one too.

Trend: Trousers

Jeans are over, you hear me, over.  For once the boys are leading the way with this trend. These days you are more likely to see boys wandering around in sand coloured chinos than you are jeans, and be prepared for more of the same, cordaroy skinny trousers have just hit down in Topman and River Island- men in cords are marching on the horizon.

But I digress, all summer long coloured skinny jean-trousers have been popping up all over the high street slowly weaning us off the same old boring blue denim. For AW11 there is a plethora of trousers, proper trousers, to choose from in gorgeous deep colours. I like them tight, skinny and rolled up 7/8s then worn with brogues or creepers, but you can style yours however you want.

I have some black ones from M&S I’ve been living in for the past two weeks. They make me feel like Audrey Hepburn or Coco Chanel, sporty and effortlessly chic.

There is also a shape to suit everyone- Capri, Cigarette, Peg-Leg, Chino and Pleat Fronts all offer variation on the skinny coloured trouser theme.

90s Films for Style Inspiration

If you follow me on twitter you’ll know all about my current 90s obsession, I recently watched Cruel Intentions again and couldn’t believe how much I wanted Sarah Michelle Geller’s wardrobe, the make up looks are equally covetable. Here’s a list of must watch films for style tips and entertainment, the films that seemed so cool when I was 12.

Technically Erin Brockovich is from 2000 but its set in the 90s and her outfits are too good not to make it on my list. I sincerely hope those short tartan kilts in the Clueless, The Craft and Empire Records posters do not make a comeback. Those I can live without. 

Dior vs. Lanvin

The major couture houses are at war with their new AW11 TV adverts or ‘Fashion Films’ if you’re in the know, dahling. Chanel started this trend with their mini film featuring Nicole Kidman and continued it with Keria Knightly. Lanvin’s AW11 campaign features (highly comical) dancing to Pitbull’s ‘I know you want me’ by Karen Elson and Raquel Zimmermann, and is well worth a watch.

Debuting on ITV tonight is Dior’s offering in the form of Charlize Theron, ‘Marilyn Monroe’, ‘Marlene Dietrich’ and ‘Grace Kelly’.  It’s a clever ruse to show us that the fragrance is at once timeless and modern. The ad is, of course, beautifully shot with The Gossip providing a punchy soundtrack. It makes me really want to buy J’Adore for myself, my mum wears it and I steal some every time I go home but can’t get away from it feeling a bit ‘old’ for me to wear everyday.

Which is best?

Love them both. 

5 Minutes of Fame

Front cover of this weeks Grazia

Comment section on the Grazia website

The printed page

Picture taken before leaving the house

This week I was so excited to grace Grazia’s weekly Style Hunter page. When the image was selected for the website I was super pleased- so imagine my surprise when a friend emailed saying I was going in the actual magazine!

The photo was taken on the South Bank as I was on my way to Vintage Festival in late July.  The dress is vintage (of course) from one of the small independent vintage stores in The Laines in Brighton.  It was bought on a work ‘vintage scavenger hunt’ in December, I think it might be home made, if not, it has clearly been altered a few times. The dress was always a little big so my talented friend took it in for me just before we left the house.

The ‘doorknocker’ earrings were a gift from a friend, I suspect from a charity shop in Worcester. Some of my all time favourite items have come from Worcester’s Charity Shops- Age Concern is one of the best.

The shoes are hand me downs from Hannah Lou Rowe, author of the brilliant Wherefore Art Thou blog and owner of the most expansive wardrobe of vintage I have ever seen. The sunglasses were bought on holiday in Croatia after I dropped my other pair into the sea diving off a rock.  The lipstick is cheap and cheerful Barry M, it gives an authentic vintage look because it’s quite dry with a matte finish.

The handbag was 50p at a jumble sale, (at the Worcester Guildhall one Christmas) It’s apt that people commented on the 80s details of my outfit because I’ve christened that handbag ‘Thatcher Bag’ or ‘Thatch’ for short. Everything I wear always ends up looking a bit 80s, but I felt that dressing entirely in one decade would feel too much like costume. I’m a total fashion magpie always mixing my references to create a look.

The best comment on the website was that I looked like a cross between  Joan from Mad-Men and Margaret Thatcher, which I loved because they really are two of my style icons.

Over before it started?

Tesco and Asda's Flying Jackets

Topshop's Flying Jacket

Burberry's Flying Jacket

Flying jackets are everywhere- from full page pictures in Stylist magazine to the front cover of Vogue’s October supplement. On every single trend report/ must have and high street store’s home page. When Topshop’s first flying jacket drop hit two weeks ago, they sold out in a matter of hours and were trading hands for double the price on EBay the same day. From the moment Burberry sent them down the catwalk in February the seemingly unanimous decision was taken that they were to be A/W 10’s MUST HAVE.

Unfortunately, the temperature has not dipped below 15 degrees and I am already bored, yes that’s right, bored of them. I have reached shearling lined aviator jacket saturation point, and its not even mid September. If I wanted one in February, I don’t now, and you know why? Florence and Fred at Tesco and George at Asda have theirs in store, the vintage stores have rails of the things, and every high street store worth mentioning has a version, and guess what? They are all the same, one for every budget, every women, no matter their income, all-walking round, looking the same. I feel for Burberry, I do- their key piece for A/W has been diluted, what should look new and exciting now looks tired, old and predictable.

The problem is, and I hate to say it, the democratisation of fashion. Before the days of live streamed shows, catwalk pics on Style.com, front row bloggers and endless real time tweets one had to wait until September to know what the trends were for Autumn- this year, by the time the magazines reported them, I knew them. And so did everyone else. Reaction had been monitored, focus groups taken and every buyer came to the same conclusion: Flying Jacket = Commercial Success.

I love that I have the opportunity to watch all the shows and see all the pictures from fashion week, I do- its just, where before I thought the British High Street maintained a safe distance from designer rip offs and trends, now I just see it as watered down, cheaper versions of the same thing, and it makes me sad.

P.S I am buying a grey or navy cape as this years winter coat. Hopefully with gold hardware.

Knickers in a twist

The M and S full brief

The illusive bikini breifs

I recently looked into my underwear drawer and saw, as I always see, a riot of multi coloured/ patterned pants- some of them have a matching bra, but most of them do not. I sigh, knowing that when that bus does mow me down the ambulance people will cut off my clothes and see ill fitting, fairly old and definitely not matching underwear.

I thought “I will bin all these childish coloured non matching underwear and replace it with endless matching underwear.” Now, I believe it a total glossy magazine myth that some, or indeed most, women wear silky matching lingerie sets at all times- its just not practical and it would be very expensive, not to mention time consuming. To combat this I had a genius idea- Only to buy black underwear and black bras- that way I would always match. Nothing fancy- just plain, cotton and sporty, a cross between 90s Calvin Klein and American Apparel- how effortlessly stylish my underwear will look!

Or at least this is what I thought…I set out to buy a basic multi-pack of black cotton briefs in a standard pant shape- I went where any person looking for basic, comfy pants would- the M&S website- I chose my shape (bikni brief) and colour (black) and, “oh the pack is mixed black and white- never mind I’ll go to the store-yes, there they are!” Very pleased I looked for my size (10) “Hmmmm only size 14 or 16, I will order them- ah, I am not able to, its ok the assistant is stock checking other stores-and…they only have them in Scotland” I have been thwarted in my quest.

I will be purchasing the black cotton full breifs- Vogue says full briefs are having a fashion moment and the comments say they don’t leave VPL, this is good enough for me. All I need to do now is buy some basic black bras. Easy…