I've neglected you all, I know. It's been much, much too long, and I feel that I faltered after what was a promising start. I had just settled into my sartorial routine. I knew where I stood on all manner of stylish issues, and suddenly I was plunged into the entirely different world of university, and for the first time in years I was having to dress to impress- well, to make friends at least - and I fell back into the rut of dressing to be accepted, and not frighten. As with everything it is easy to fall into the trap of being like others- standing out makes you vulnerable and open to rejection, and when disco pants and a crop top are greeted with: "Oh. You dress really '
cool' " (and no, that isn't a compliment) it becomes second nature to not put yourself out there or play with the template of conventional dressing.
But that isn't me. I LOVE clothes, and simply waking up, rolling out of bed, ignoring a hangover and picking up the first thing on the floor (as most of my fellow students seem to do) is not, and has never been my style. I am much more into the 'plan the night before in my head and make sure to drink a litre of water before I sleep to avoid any kind of repercussions' kinda living. So from now on I will make more of an effort to stay in touch with you all- even if I only manage a few post per term and then make up for it in the holidays. While I might complain, the reality is that uni does have more than a handful of ridiculously stylish individuals, a few of whom I feel privileged to call friends, whom I hope to be able to introduce you to in posts to come...
But for now, let's start slow. As many of you may have noticed, the Great British high-street has, of late, been tempting us to use up our overdrafts with some conveniently times sales. Of these, one of the best, I find is ASOS. Not only does it allow you to shop online (meaning you don't have to venture out in the cold) but the returns process is incredibly easy, and they cater to every shape and size, price range and taste, and currently, they have a sale on, as far as I can see, pretty much everything. So, in order to get things going, I thought I'd introduce you to a few items I've got my eyes on for the coming seasons...
Because I know that you're all still reeling from the BDSM references in Louis Vuitton a/w 2011, and who doesn't love some "The Night Porter" inspired dominatrix fun? I joke. Kind of. A leather skirt can be the height of sartorial sexiness, but the reality is, most of us don't care to wander around looking like a gothic library assistant in an overly tight leather pencil skirt, which is the style which seems to have been overly produced of late. (You know those ones, which are so tight at the bottom you can hardly walk? Yeah, we've all been there.) This skirt works as a fantastic alternative. Sufficiently like a schoolgirl's skirt to allow for movement and light-heartedness, but with a grown up and very fashionable edge. Like you'd imagine those East London chiclettes might wear...
For those of you who don't quite feel like embracing leather wholeheartedly, this top is a great way of flashing a bit of trend knowledge, without succumbing to it completely, as it were. Obviously not everyone wants to show the world and all it's delightful creatures their bra, and accordingly in these cold winter months I'd recommend a black top underneath for day-wear and a little extra modesty, although I also wholly advocate it worn with a black bra and a pair of tailored sequined trousers for a festive night out!
I take it you've all seen that Harvey Nicks ad? The one with the girls doing the walk of shame? Good. As I think we can all agree, no one wants to be that girl the morning after the night before, no matter how much fun the night might have been. So instead of donning head to toe glitter and a pair of stripper heels, I recommend nice tailored trousers or black jeans and this gorgeous top. A little bit of sparkle never hurt anyone, but it is enough in itself, and by in large does not need further embellishment. Keep the bottom half and your hair and make-up simple, pair it with some cute boots (with or without heels, it matters not) and a well tailored (and WARM) coat. Although, if you're feeling daring, I am a fan of the massive fur coats hanging around at the moment. Think yeti.
This is one of my favorite items from the sale. Perfect for summer, with gold sandals and floppy hat, or in winter, with a long sleeved black top underneath, thick thick thick tights, boots and a long fur gilet. It's all about mixing textures. Think sixties, think Twiggy, think tousled locks and a certain je ne sais quoi.
For those wishing to cover all trends at once this is the dress to buy. Drop waisted, with a good combination of 60's (shifty) and 20's (baggy), just the right amount of shape, a collar AND cuffs (they do spoil us on ASOS) and that all-important colour blocking. This dress ticks every single box. The colour blocking breaks the dress up drawing focus from the fact that it doesn't actually have all that much shape, while the contrast of the brown and blue allows it to happily squeeze into that tricky inter-season section of the year when it isn't quite spring/summer, but not really winter either. In other words, a blessing for those who want to take a slightly more casual approach to their fashion-following.
Anyway, I hope this deliriously long post has satisfied some of your cravings, for the moment at least. I promise to try to be more regular with my updates, but for now, go out into the world and explore the vast joys dressing differently (or in a slightly different manner than usual) has to offer!!
