Peachy Does Fashion

Holly Fulton Spring Summer 2011

2010-11-29T22:51:00.004Z

Holly Fulton is fast becoming one of my absolute favourite designers of all time. I adore her very graphic, colorful prints and think the cut and style of her outfits are just so wearable. Why, oh why, can I not afford to buy her collections? Damn my student budget.

Here are my favourite pieces by Holly Fulton:

I do believe she is my clothing hero...

Spring Summer 2011

2010-11-29T22:43:00.003Z

So, the weather is finally getting cold enough for me to feel the need to bring out the hats and earmuffs, yet all I really want to do is think about summer. Going through some of the pictures from the spring/summer.11 collections, here are some of my favourite pieces:

Kenzo

Kenzo

Holly Fulton

Chanel

Repeats

2010-08-12T22:09:00.002+01:00

Haha I just read how many times I repeated the words outstanding and pieces in my last post! What a boob I am...

My cuff

2010-08-10T21:11:00.002+01:00

I was wearing my cuff today and remembered exactly how in love with it I am and thought I'd share the beauty of it with the world today:

It's from Newbridge Silver, and Irish silver company from which I own a lot of pieces because I think they make outstanding pieces of jewellery. This particular piece I got for my birthday and I am outstandingly happy with it.

Hiking Boots

2010-08-10T20:54:00.002+01:00

Miss Selfridge
Asos

Due to the recent influx of high heeled hiking boots onto the autumn/winter market, I have found them growing on me like autumn moss continually grows on over exposed rocks. I am now in love with both of these pairs, despite the fact that I've only just bought myself a very similar, gorgeous pair from Primark for about quarter of the price of these two...

Winter things to lust after

2010-08-01T23:54:00.002+01:00

All Saints
All Saints
Office

These are just another couple of things I am lusting after for this autumn/winter...

Maxi for autumn

2010-07-22T00:53:00.002+01:00

I love this skirt from Topshop immensely and it's something I'd definetely think of buying for the autum especially... Worn with a loose t-shirt tucked into it, a khaki or forest green parka and shoe boots, this will definetly keep me warm right into the winter...

I heart this top

2010-07-19T12:53:00.002+01:00

I LOVE this top. I saw it in Topshop yesterday and had to buy it. I wasn't actually supposed to be spending any money, but I just couldn't walk away from this t-shirt...

Autumn already

2010-07-13T23:04:00.003+01:00

It's the height of summer, and yet all I can think about is how much I miss the cold and cannot wait to be able to wrap up in thick (yet gorgeous) layers. Oh, how fickle am I?

Not even a month ago, I was dying for the weather to warm up so that I could wear tiny shorts and not feel stupid, yet here I am, when the weather has finally taken a turn for the better, longing for the short, overcast days, and missing the rain like an insomniac misses sleep.

Already my mind is whirring ahead, thinking about all the purchases I can't wait to make when the weather finally does turn typically British - boots, gloves, thick wollen jumpers... Aaah I'm already drooling.

So in light of my recent discovery that I do infact love bad weather, here are some of the purchases I intend to make before the autumn gets a hold of the country:

Topshop

Ebay
Ebay

Topshop

Fashion is up it's own arse

2010-06-27T23:27:00.002+01:00

I was just on the forum fashionspot.com, and I looked up a thread about fashion blogging. My God, some of the opinions expressed are so fastidious and narrow-minded that it makes me want to hit people. So I blog about fashion? Who cares? So I don't have any well researched, developed knowledge of fashion design, or even of the industry particularly, but again, who cares?

I am an 18 year old female who is studying her arse off to get a decent degree in English Literature at university, and also trying to balance her fairly demanding part-time job. I'm sorry if I don't have enough time to dedicate to meticulously studying past fashion lines, but that doesn't mean I'm not capable of having my own opinions on the style of today.

I read Vogue religiously, and have begun building my own fortress out of fashion literature, so if I haven't learned at least a little from those texts, then I don't know if I ever will. But to be honest, my complete knowledge of actual fashion and the current trends does not really matter, because at the end of the day, I am my own person and have my own style and opinions on what does and does not look good.

Okay, rant over. For now.

Fur scarf

2010-06-27T22:41:00.003+01:00

Hmmm, I know that it is still only just June, but I have started to think about the autumn already. There are three main things that I really, really, really want - a pair of decent water proof shoe-boots, cream high waisted trousers and a new fur scarf. This vintage scarf is gorgeous, but I am umming and ahhing about whether or not I really want it:

It's a vintage gold mink stole, and although it's beautiful, I do feel really bad for the poor little minks...

Carrot Leg Trousers

2010-06-21T17:37:00.002+01:00

No! Just NO! I hate this pair of trousers so much!

White

2010-06-21T15:12:00.004+01:00

White is a brilliant colour, especially for sumer. Okay, it does get dirty ridiculously easily, and yes, any fluff you happen to sit on will inevitably end up being highlighted on your arse, but whatever. Its simple purity, and the feeling of liberty and freedom it conjurs up completely outweighs its obvious bad points. Here are some amazing white ensembles from the catwalks of Spring Summer 2010:

Stella McCartney

Oscar de la Renta

Luca Luca

Chanel

Chanel

White's not just a colour for summer though, as Chanel readily proved:

And it's already being seen on the catwalks for Spring Summer 2011:

Oscar de la Renta Resort

Office Outfits

2010-06-09T10:55:00.002+01:00

So I'm sitting at my desk in the Ilford Recorder at the moment (work experience :-) ), with nothing to do for a minute.

Looking around, it's amazing to see how many people who work at an office believe that clothes have to be boring. Now, that's not to say that no one in here dresses well - there are a few dotted around - but mostly I'm surrounded by a sea of grey, black, white and navy blue.

If I could do anything rihgt now, it would be to trundle (what a good word!) off to the shops and buy several racks of clothes to give everyone one a revamp.

Summer Outfit Number 1

2010-05-26T00:52:00.006+01:00

So here's an outfit I'd like to put together if I could afford it:

All Saints Bikini

Topman Cotton Shirt

Topshop Shorts
Topshop Necklace
Topshop NecklaceGap Belt

Accessorize BeltAccessorize Cuff
Accessorize Bangles

Office Wedges

If I could get my hands on an outfit like this, I would wear the bikini top under the shirt, with the shirt unbottoned except for a middle button, sleeves rolled up and one side tucked loosely into the waistband of the shorts . I would also wear both the belts layered loosely over each other, the cuff on one arm and a couple of sets of the bangles on the other arm. I would wear both necklaces together, but I especially like the leaf one - it's very pocahontas-y and practically personifies the look I am going for this summer.

Kate Moss for Topshop

2010-05-21T00:16:00.003+01:00

Oh my God, I am totally lusting after these dresses from Kate Moss for Topshop:

Especially the first dress. It is absolutely beauty incarnate and I want it so badly. Trouble is, I don't particularly have £150 to buy it, nor do I actually have anywhere to wear it either... It's too pretty just to wear to go shopping.

Louboutin Galore

2010-05-15T21:49:00.004+01:00

Okay, so in light of many of the runways for Autumn/Winter 2010.2011, such as Betsey Johnson, Holly Fulton and Alexander Wang, I have decided that yellow and tan shoes are definetely one of the ways to liven up the otherwise gloomy palette. Here are two of my favourite pairs by Christian Louboutin:

Now, I know these two pairs are from his current Spring/Summer collection, but with these colours, they'll carry me right through to autumn...or at least they would if I could afford them.

Here is my inspiration to buy yellow shoes for this autumn winter:

Betsey Johnson

Alexander Wang

Holly Fulton

New banner, take 2

2010-05-12T02:12:00.000+01:00

Woo, another new banner. I swear, I will eventually make one that I am happy with...

Lace

2010-05-10T23:11:00.004+01:00

Ok, so I know lace is very A/W 2009.2010, but I absolutely adore the stuff. I'm in quite a romantic, fairytale-ish mood today (no idea why), and I think lace personifies this to the fullest extent. It's so dramatic, yet womanly. I love it :) And I especially loved Valentino's lace masks for last winter season:

In fact, I love lace so much, I really want my wedding dress to be made out of it. Here are a couple that I love:

New banner

2010-05-09T23:55:00.002+01:00

Haha, I was just messing around on a new picture editing programme I downloaded today called Gimp and my banner is what I created. I've never used this type of programme before, so my effort isn't amazing. Oh well, I'm going to try and try again until I've got a good one, but for now this one will do :)

Haircut

2010-05-09T14:55:00.002+01:00

I finally got my hair cut and I'm so happy. I got my side fringe turned into a full layered fringe and I absolutely love it. It's so different to every haircut I've had so far in my life, and I was looking for a bit of change.

That's the thing about hairstyles/cuts. They can change you so dramatically. Even just changing your parting can make a world of difference. I get so bored with my hair so quickly that I often have to think of quick ways to change it.

I wish it would hurry up and grow a few extra inches though 'cause I'm getting really tired of my hair bending because it rests just over my shoulders...

To fur or not to fur?

2010-05-02T23:14:00.003+01:00

I read a private message (thanks William_St_Girl/Gail :-) ) I got on the forum Fashion Spot just now, and it was about a topic I find really interesting in the ethics of fashion. Fur. Is it right to wear it? Is it okay to scarifice innocent animals to look good? Does it make you a bad person if the feel of fur gives you thrills like no other clothing can?

A while ago I was going through my Grandma's cupboard and I came across some of the most beautiful items of clothing I have ever seen/felt. They were a hat and scarf, and unfortunately they were nade of real fur. Now, my Grandma is seasoned enough to have aquired these items before it was somewhat of an issue to own real fur. I, obviously, am of the generation that are scared that they will be kidnapped by the scary PETA extremists if I choose to wear some of the beautiful fur items that are around.

I am an animal lover - I love most creatures big and small, furry and feathered, hoofed and pawed, but I still like fur. Fur was the only type of clothing available for thousands of years, and even when other fabrics were introduced, furs and leathers were still the fabrics to turn to when the weather turned cold and wet. Fur and leather provide the best protection against both of aforementioned factors, it's why the animals have it in the first place. As I eat meat also, I don't see why I shouldn't be able to wear the byproduct of that process sometimes. And if it makes me look good, then so be it.

Now, I don't agree with the very inhumane methods that are maybe used fairly often to acquire fur, but I do still fundamentally like fur. I like the feel of it, and the look of it, and how warm and cosy it is, but i do think it would be amazing if someone, somewhere in the world could develop very real looking and feeling fur that was widely available. However, until that groundbreaking moment arrives, I think people should be able to wear what they want and not be berated for it, after all, it's a free world, right?

Also, the fur look is big in fashion nearly every winter, and it was big at catwalks such as Chanel (who used at least some fake fur, I'm not sure whether it was all fake), and it looks really pretty.

Chanel

Chanel

Time to jog on...

2010-04-29T23:24:00.002+01:00

I've decided that I must lose weight. My Granny died a while ago, and when we were cleaning out her wardrobe, my mum and aunt found this amazing high waisted, black pencil skirt that I love. It was immediately given to me as I am the slimmest member of my family, however even I do not quite fit into the skirt (it cuts in a tiny bit :-s). Thus, I have come to the decision that if I am to wear the skirt, I must first of all do some exercise in order to shrink my waist so as not to break the gorgeous skirt...

Rachel from Glee

2010-04-26T23:30:00.003+01:00

Most of the time Rachel from Glee looks uber dorky - knee high socks, flats, tartan skirts, chunky knitted cardigans etc:

However, her vaguely geeky look is really beginning to grow on me. In fact, I am starting to find myself being attracted to granny-chic jumpers and knee high socks even though it would never normally have crossed my mind to even consider buying such items of clothing.

My favourite Rachel outfit so far I think has been the white shirt and high waisted denim skirt ensemble that she wore during her song with Finn in the Madonna episode. It was such a cute outfit, and I actually think I've worn something like it out before..

Straw is hay but thicker...

2010-04-25T23:35:00.003+01:00

Today, whilst in Primark's flagship store at Marble Arch, both me and my younger sister bought straw hats. Up until now recently, my view on straw hats was as such: old, frumpy and something my grandma would wear whilst doing the gardening. Don't ask me why that opinion has changed so drastically in the last 2 years, but it has. Straw hats are always a massive trend for the summer because not only do they look very cute in a countrified way, but they also protect you from the sun and aren't stiflingly hot like a cap or other cloth hats. Thus, I decided that the time was ripe for me to invest in a straw hat.

There are many types available in most highstreet stores, styles like tilbys, boaters, cowboy, floppy hats etc. I prefer these types of floppy styles as I think they are really sweet and feminine without being too dorky:

Asos.com

Topshop

The hat I bought today is really similar to the hat from Topshop, but of course it was only a fraction of the price because it is from Primark. £4 to be precise.

Summer is finally here...

2010-04-23T23:16:00.003+01:00

Okay, so wow, I have not been on here in aaaages and I think that warrants a sorry, and a promise to start trying to write regularly again.

Anyway, the smeel of summer is finally in the air, with everyone stocking up on bikinis and flip flops to bach balls and wooden spades. So far I have managed to wear both a recently purchased playsuit and also a pair of denim shorts out and not be frozen to death. Impressive I think, considering the usual London weather.

On my wish list for this summer is a nice pair of Birkenstocks in white:

I really like the casual, laid back air of summer that Birkenstocks represent to me, plus they are an amazingly comfortable pair of flip-flops. However, as this month I got taxed a fairly large amount of my pay check, and need to spend the rest of my disposable income on actually living, I think I may invest in a truly highstreet version from Primark. They look practically the same, and although they are probably not as well made(nor probably super comfortable for that matter)they only cost four pounds a pair. At that price, I don't care if a wave happens to surprise me and ruin them,or I slip on a rock pool and dunk them in seaweed-y goo, because for four pounds they are disposable.

Mood Board

2010-03-24T21:04:00.004Z

Hahaha I was just messing around on the cadbury bunny competition on asos.com and this is the mood board I have come up with:

Wedding Dresses

2010-03-17T23:06:00.003Z

Although technically not fashion, I have been obsessing over wedding dresses because I have finally started to think about planning mine... Here are some of my favourite dresses that I've seen so far:

Amber from the bridalwearcompany.com

from thevintageweddingdresscompany.com

Ava by Angelina Colarusso

from halfpennylondon.com

Street Chic

2010-03-15T22:36:00.002Z

Yes I have knicked the title off of vogue.co.uk, as I have the picture, but I just loved this outfit so I thought I'd share it:

It's so cute and quirky, and although I could never pull this look off, it looks amazing on her. I love the colours and the pattern of the leggings. Definetely cute girly meets geeky chic.

Dresses Galore

2010-03-14T17:57:00.003Z

These are three dresses that Im totally obssessed with:

Dior

Dior

Chanel

Alberta Ferretti

I want...

2010-03-12T23:34:00.002Z

I want, I want, I want.

Topshop blouse

Utility trousers Warehouse

Warehouse Beast of a Weave

Asos bag (as in a previous post)

Shoes, shoes, where are all the shoes??

2010-03-12T09:35:00.003Z

Aargh!! I finally decided to get up and go to uni and now I can't find my cute grey brogues and I need them for this outfit. It's stressing me out! I have looked absolutely everywhere and still no sign of them... Maybe they have walked out on me :-(

In other news, I bought these shoes online yesterday:

Granted mine are a cute raspberry colour, but aren't they GORGEOUS? They're from Office.

Link not working

2010-03-12T00:33:00.000Z

Okay, I swear I repel technology. It never works for me :-( Sorry guys, I'll try to sort it out.

The late Alexander McQueen's last show

2010-03-12T00:22:00.002Z

Just flicking through the pictures of the last Alexander McQueen show in Paris (it's so sad, yet almost fitting that this collection is such a typical McQueen creation ie gorgeous) and I WANT this dress. Sooooo badly. It's STUNNING.

Grrr I can't get the picture to load, so here's a link to the dress:

http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/show.aspx/catwalk-report/id,8883#/imageno/12

French Connection dress

2010-03-11T15:23:00.005Z

I was surfing the net (as you do on your boring day off from uni), when I came across this amazing dress from French Connection:

It's called Dandy Voile and it's soooo pretty. Once I found it, I decided to look up some accesories to go with it. Here's some to make a killer nightime look:

French Connection cube necklace

Asos croc bag

Office Be a Winner heels

Here's some other items to go with the dress for a sweet daytime look:

Sabrina bracelet

Topshop Mohair socks

Topshop Lorna heels

Asos bag

Fairytale Couture

2010-03-10T23:33:00.005Z

Fairytale couture is something that most designers seem to have bought into at some point or another. It is the woman's version of a little girl's princess dress, and some of them are the most beautiful works of art I've ever seen in my life. The reason I've decided to make this post is because I was just researching ideas for a uni magazine article that I want to write and thought I'd share a couple of the prettiest pictures I've found so far.

The late Alexander McQueen 2003

Chanel 08

Dior

Bicylce shorts

2010-03-10T23:17:00.002Z

I used to own a pair of cycling shorts when I was seven or eight years old - they had a picture of te spice girls on the pocket area and I thought they were the bees knees when I got them. For the first time since then I bought a pair of cycling shorts in H&M for £2.99 - bargain. They're a light grey colour and have lace around the bottom. I know they don't necessarily sound like the most gorgeous item of clothing in the world, but trust me they are BEAUTIFUL. If I could find a picture of them I would upload it, but alas it is not meant to be...

Work Experience

2010-03-09T15:08:00.003Z

As I want to forge a career in fashion journalism when I leave uni, I knew that I need to gain all the experience I can get because it is such a competetive area. I applied last night to work at my local newspaper (the Ilford Recorder) during the summer and the editor has e-mailed me back saying that they will try to fit me in over the summer. WOO!! I know it's not necessarily got the wow factor of saying I've got a placement at Vogue or Marie Claire, but hey, it's a brilliant start as far as I'm concerned, and at least I'll get a feel for the publishing world.

I can't wait for them to hopefully e-mail me back with details!

Stella McCartney Paris A/W 2010

2010-03-08T23:01:00.002Z

I was sitting at the bus stop in my way home from work when a newspaper (Evening Standard) sporting pictures of a fashion show caught my eye. Me being as trampy as I am, I proceeded to pick it up and look at what show the pictures were of - Stella McCartney's A/W 10.11 show in Paris. The article suitably whetted my appetite I looked up some pictures of her line on vogue.co.uk.

Now generally, I think Stella McCartney is massively talented and shows off what British fashion is all about, and her A/W line is no different. Full of the fairly muted tones of black, grey and a sort of cream liquer colour, it was shot through with bright fuschias and oranges which broke up the effect and brought some life to it. Many of her ensembles proved very short, thus showing that as Gianluca Longo suggested, you need to have very long, very toned legs to pull off the look with justice. Many tailored pieces kept in line with the many designers showcasing deconstructed tailoring in their A/W lines, and overall gave the show an almost austere tone - although this was spiced up somewhat by the bright colours and playful dresses that also took to the catwalk in her show. All in all, Stella's line is very cute, and despite the short hemlines, could prove to form some of the staple items to hit the highstreet for A/W 10.11.

Clogs

2010-03-07T16:50:00.003Z

I hate them, I hate them, I HATE THEM!!!! Wooden heels I like, but I can't stand actual clog-like heels with the leather uppers and the studs. I just find them physically unattractive and actually kind of cumbersome to wear - maybe that's because of the many years I watched my mum wear a pair of clogs around the house and nominally tripped over every time I tried to wear them myself. Either way, I don't like clogs, even if they are designed by amazing designers such as Chanel (see pic below), or even Kurt Geiger.

Lady tache

2010-03-07T16:35:00.003Z

Yesterday at work, whilst boredly gazing at one of the many news papers that passed through my til, I noticed that one of the headlining pictures was of a shot of one of the faahion weeks, but that wasn't what truly caught my eye. The model in it was sporting a whispy moustache and very heavy eyebrows. Then I noticed that the designer was Vivienne Westwood and the whole article was about her introduction of the 'lady tache' (as named by I think the Daily Telegraph). Viveinne Westwood is well known for her controversial styles, and in fact that is what she is greatly admired for, however many women spend years trying to rid themselves of unsightly facial hair, so trying to turn it into fashion is almost like a slap in the face. The androgenous look is popular, I know, but surely attempting to make women physically resemble men is a step over the line?

High Heels will be the death of me

2010-03-05T23:05:00.004Z

I know that this summer slightly lower heels and clog styles are are all in, but I just can't tear myself away from high heels and I don't think I ever will be able to. I own about fifteen pairs of shoes with heels of four inches or more, and I love every single pair of them. The way they make me feel, the way they look, the way they make ME look - they're just amazing in every way. Granted, it's very easy to break your ankle in them (especially when you're not looking the right way when you step onto an escalator) and very often you end up covered in blisters where they've rubbed your feet in places you didn't even know existed, but high heels just transform any outfit into something stunning. Oh yeah, and guys love them.

Here are two of my favourite pairs, one designer and one 'highstreet':

The above are Christian Louboutin Banana heels in green - they also look great in lavender. The ones below are Hodge heels from asos.com.

My clothes

2010-03-04T22:14:00.002Z

Okay, so this is the outfit I was wearing today:

It's a peach coloured dress from asos.com (yes I know it seems like I'm obssessed with that website), a cream and navy blue striped cardigan from Primark and a gold chain belt which my grandma found in the back of her wardrobe from back in the day.

Excuse the terrible quality of the photo but I broke the camera lense on my phone (don't ask me how...) and had to use a different, crappier camera.

Summertime personified

2010-03-03T21:56:00.003Z

I found this gorgeous playsuit on asos.com today that to me really looks like the epitome of summer:

I'd wear this playsuit with these shoes:

Also...

2010-03-02T20:36:00.002Z

Speaking of feeling and looking like crap: I was watching some gossipy celebrity news programme earlier and one of their items for today was that apparently it has become the trend for some photographers to airbrush photos of celebrities, but not to look prettier. It's apparently now common practice to enhance already not-so-hot pictures of celebrities in a way to make them look even worse than they already do, with the argument being that everyone likes to know that celebrities are just people at the end of the day. However, although I can understand this (because who doesn't love the fact that even the waif like Kate Moss would appear to have cellulite), I don't think it's right to further emphasise the traits that celebrities may hate about themselves. I know it sells magazines and whatever, but it's not really fair to make people look bad just so that some people can feel better about themselves. I mean, I'd hate it if someone tried to make me look worse than I already do, wouldn't you?

Illness is taking it's toll...

2010-03-02T20:32:00.002Z

I've been feeling like crap the last few days, and I'm sorry to say that this has taken a toll on my clothes. I'd like to think that I make an effort to look as good as I can all the time, but you know when you just have such an off day that you can't be bothered to get out of bed, let alone try to decide on some actual clothing to put on. I've been wearing tracksuit bottoms all day today because although I think they are chavvy and don't make ANYONE's bum look good, they are in actual fact sooo comfortable and warm.

First one of the season

2010-02-26T23:49:00.004Z

Okay, so life has been pretty hectic for me this week, between doing uni work, doing actual work and trying to fit in what I enjoy doing around those two things.

Somewhere along the line I have managed to make one of the first pieces of clothing in what I like to think of as my s/s line (it's not really, it's just a few summery pieces of clothing that I have managed to think up and would like to get around to making at some point). So, in celebration of my actually acheiving doing something productive with my time, I thought I'd upload a couple of pics of the dress in question.

The pictures aren't that good because:
1, I'm in them, and
2, they were taken with my phone because I'm not, as of yet, an owner of a decent camera.

Oh yeah, and please excuse my hideous VPL in the picture of the back of the dress - I wasn't wearing the right underwear for this impromptu photoshoot.

Reality Check for Fashion Week

2010-02-22T23:02:00.002Z

As usual, one of the hot topics that springs to mind during Fashion Week is that of what are generically referred to as 'real' size models and the obsession with thin. In today's issue of the Daily Mail, there was an article by Lucy Ballinger about the designer Mark Fast and his use of several normal sized women to model his collection, including British model Hayley Moriey. It is refreshing to see a designer who will consciously, and confidently, use women of all sizes to model in their show and not just follow the heard and use the traditional thin crowd of models. Although I don't think that thinner models should be discriminated against either, to have the wide variety of shapes and sizes that the female body comes in represented on the catwalk is inspiring - especially in a far more positive way than only using skinny models.

Speaking as an average size ten (who luckily has the metabolism that digests all the crap I eat without needing to go to the gym), even I have had a few problems with my weight during my adolescence and I'm not even overweight. I am a healthy human being, but I never looked at myself that way whilst flicking through the pages of magazines, or watching the various modelling shows on telly filled with tiny women of half my weight. It doesn't set a good body image for young girls, and instead pushes them too hard to be something they're not. Yes, fashion may look good on the ultra skinny, but some of it can equally look disturbing when all you can see is portruding bones and angles.

Therefore, I can only conclude that fashion is what you make it, and if you're a good fashion designer, then your clothes should look good on everyone. And if that's the case, why isn't everyone represented on the catwalk?

Autumn/Winter 2010

2010-02-21T23:14:00.002Z

I was just going through the pictures of the various fashion weeks from around the world on vogue.co.uk (because I can't get close enough to the catwalks in real life) and it seems like A/W 2010 is going to be fairly bleak. The first thing that hit me was that many of the designers would appear to have gone down the 'black is the new black' approach, from Acne at London fashion week through to Cynthia Rowley at New York fashion week. However, although black may be the staple colour at many of the catwalks, the sombre tone has been shot through with bright blues, yellows and reds to give a bit of life to the A/W scene. Red and yellow shoes especially have made it onto the runway at the likes of Alexander Wang, Cynthia Rowley and Holly Fulton. Metallic effects too have appeared on a fair few of the catwalks, along with bright and bold prints (from the floral, to the optic to the symmetrical). So far, my favourite look picked off the catwalk is the deconstructed tailoring of both Marc Jacobs ready-to-wear line and Rag and Bone because it looks classy, but has an edge that also makes it daring.

Kids today...

2010-02-18T00:55:00.002Z

Hey, I haven't written on here in a while because I've been away to somewhere with more or less no internet access and no internet cafes - yes, it was rather remote.

Anyway, moving on to bigger, but not necessarily brighter, things. I've read a few articles recently (in Grazia, The Evening Standard and was it maybe Glamour?) about young girls and the over exposure to overtly sexual clothing and makeup, with one particular example popping up in all of them - Miley Cyrus' little sister. Honestly, when I read the first one I can't say I was overly bothered. I mean, what little girl doesn't like dressing up and playing with makeup? But after reading a few articles on the subject, and then witnessing a really bad case of the overly sexual ten year olds in real life, the message hit home. What the hell are little girls doing wearing a face full of almost perfectly applied make up and clothes that I (an 18 year old woman) would wear to a club? Hello, are they looking for sleazy old men to check them out? I don't think so somehow.

Although several of the articles placed a lot of blame on the fashion industry for the influx of sexuality in children's clothing, I don't think all the heat should be applied in that direction. A big chunk of the blame should also be thrown at mothers who let their children out of the house looking like eight year old hookers. I really don't understand what must possess a mother to buy tiny skirts and sexy over-the-knee socks for their children, because surely most ten year olds don't have enough money to go out any buy those clothes for themselves?

Now, I don't have any children, but I have several young cousins all of whom I love to pieces, and I would be so shocked if I saw them go out dressed how some children are. Why can't we just keep the innocence of youth and dress little girls in cute flowery tea dresses and cardigans the way it was meant to be, instead of letting them roam the streets looking like minature twenty year olds out on the pull.

Sorry this is such a long post, but I thought I'd like to have a little rant.

Alexander McQueen

2010-02-11T18:36:00.002Z

Today Alexander McQueen was found dead in his London apartment. What a sad day for the fashion world. A talented and coveted designer he was one of London's most desirable artists and now he's gone. He was one of my favourite designers and it's so sad that he is dead. I'm so sorry for his family as they have had to deal with two deaths in such a short time.

Alexander McQueen Rest In Peace

Inspiration

2010-02-11T14:20:00.002Z

There's this girl at my uni whose dress sense I absolutely want to steal. She has such a unique sense of style that suits her down to the ground and I wish I had her wardrobe. Except for the white tights with brogues and her cropped trousers. I'm not too keen on the white socks and trousers look... It's a bit too preppy for me.

Future

2010-02-08T23:38:00.002Z

My main aim in life is to open my own boutique selling a mixture of my own creations and a few other designer's pieces. As such, I've been designing and making clothes for aas long as I can remember; although ny first few designs/projects at the tender age of seven probably weren't the stuff of catwalks... This summer I want to make a whole line of quite structured clothing, contrasting the close fit and some harsh lines with soft fabrics and girly prints. I've been looking online for some inspiration for fabric prints and this is the tpye of look I'm going for...

Fashion is Art

2010-02-06T23:19:00.002Z

I was having a conversation with my fiance and Dad the other day about fashion shows. Neither of them can understand why the catwalk is the hot bed for trends when a lot of the outfits are quite outlandish. I replied to this by saying that the reason catwalk shows are so amazing is BECAUSE they're so out there. Most people do not look at what is on the runway and think 'yes, I must go out right now and buy the gigantic crystal-studded shoulder pads by Manish Arora and wear it into the office'. But that is the whole point. Catwalks are for show - they are where art is created and performed. Many catwalk shows are a gallery for artists to exhibit their work, and as far as I'm concerned, this is exactly how it should be. Zany outfits in a fashion shoot aren't necessarily designed to be every-day-wear but it is still the place where the high street trends are set. For example, there were a lot of bright tribal and almost cyber prints showcased for 2010s s/s collection, and as a result, bold prints have hit the high street with a vengeance. So, feel free to oggle at what's on the catwalk and appreciate it for what it is - a work of art that will slowly influence the way you dress yourself.

These boots are made for walking

2010-02-04T13:57:00.003Z

I was in Lakeside shopping centre yesterday and I noticed just how many girls (and even guys actually) were wearing the type of flat, lace up ex-military or even victoriana boots that come from shops like All Saints. In fact, it's not even just girls from Romford out that are wearing them, even wandering around my uni campus and the centre of London the last few days I saw loads of girls sporting the look along with cute little dresses or distressed looking jeans. Personally, I've always loved those type of boots - they really do look good with loads of outfits - but recently I've developed more of a penchant for Doctor Martens. They're tougher looking and more hard wearing, and who doesn't want a pair of boots that you can get in almost any colour under the sun? I'm aiming to buy a pair of patent red ones next...

Off the All Saints website

Off a site called The Girl in Stripes

The Victorians: Round 2

2010-02-01T23:29:00.003Z

Hmm, in the Evening Standard today there was a whole article on the trend that is called 'Steampunk' which I thought was very interesting. Steampunk is the new victorian based trend that has taken the world in its firm industrially revolutionalised grip and involves everything that is tweed, dapper and optimistic. Although it's more of a life-style based movement than simply a fashion movement, it has a distinctly British air that I think fits the current climate. In light of this new trend I have to say that I am all for it. Bring on the impossibly complex dresses, austere tailoring and preppy tweed. To hell with tracksuit bottoms and sloppy t-shirts, I want my dress to take a day to put on and five to take off, have floor sweeping hems and wear cute little ornaments in my up-swept hair. Granted, only rich people dressed like this in the actual Victorian era, but hey, in this modern day and age you can get away with wearing almost anything. So, like I already said, bring it on!

John Cavanagh is my hero

2010-01-31T20:12:00.003Z

Okay, so I was doing some research for an article I'm writing about John Cavanagh and I very soon came across this dress (obviously, as it's a picture that appears about a million times when you type in John Cavanagh's name into google). Made by John Cavanagh for 'The Coronation Collection' in 1953, it has a uniquely designed fabric by Oliver Messel and it's absolutely gorgeous! Both vintage, and classy (unlike some vintage clothes that look like something a frumpy old person would wear), it's stunning and I would love to own it. Imagine going to a uni ball in that...

I want...

2010-01-28T20:08:00.004Z

Surfing the net (again, because I clearly have too much time on my hands), and I came across these on asos.com. I want them. Like really badly. They're French Connection and they're gorgeous. I'm going to buy them and wear them with thick cream slouchy socks during the spring, a la Burberry.

And I think I'll buy this dress to go with them - the colour is what caught me and I think the tie detail with a few well placed buttons is so cute.

Again, it's from asos.com

2010-01-25T23:44:00.002Z

My idol. In my opinion, Coco Chanel is by far the greatest designer of the twentieth century. Love her, love her, LOVE HER!! Classic style, classic cut, even classic fragrance - what didn't she do?

Denim is the new denim

2010-01-25T00:00:00.004Z

Hmmm, today I saw someone walking down the high road wearing denim on denim - and not even matching denim. It did not look good. In fact, to be perfectly frank, she looked like she'd gotten dressed in the dark. I know mixing denim is a hot trend for s/s 2010 but I guess the trend is just not for me. It looks so eighties (and not in a good way). Denim will always be for me either the statement jeans, or the statement jacket - not both!

My glamazon's gone soft

2010-01-22T23:53:00.003Z

My glamazon has gone soft this summer to match the sweeter, more girly tones that are about for s/s. Gone are my towering heels, to be replaced by lower, daintier ones (okay, that's not entirely true, but surely a girl can't be expected to give up her favourite pair of power heels just because they're five inches tall?). Gone too are my structured shouldered blazers to make room for the cute little knitted cardys I plan on wearing all summer. Pinks and nudes are - for the first time since I began dressing myself - making dramatic progress in my wardrobe, both through the clothes that I'm buying, and through the different clothes that I'm making.

However, I will still be keeping the hint of leather that I've fallen for oh-so-deeply because some dresses suit the girly meets grungy look. They just do.

Smoke is sexy

2010-01-22T23:40:00.003Z

Oh my God, I love these shoes by Philip Treacy for Valentino! They're absolutely stunning - if they were a man, I'd marry them. Thank you Vogue for featuring these shoes. Who doesn't think the smoky look is sexy after seeing these babies?

Underwear - emphasis on UNDER

2010-01-21T18:07:00.003Z

No, no, NO! I hate this trend so much!!! Underwear is underwear - with emphasis on the under! It might look great on the catwalk but in real life no one can get away with it. That means NO ONE. Unless your aim is to actually look like a ho.

Socks in Sandals

2010-01-19T23:19:00.005Z

Now, I've always hated it when my Dad has committed the crime of wearing socks in sandals, but this season (S/S 2010, not A/W cause I haven't seen any of those pics yet) socks in sandals have appeared to hit th runways of loads of designers, such as Burberry, DSquared, Dolce and Gabbana, Rochas etc. I'm not entirely sure whether or not I can make my mind up on this trend. Up until I saw the pictures of the models working the socks in sandals combo I would have totally against it - fashion faux pas leaps to mind - but honestly the examples I've seen on the runway actually look pretty amazing. I'm not sure if it's the types of sandals they're wearing with the types of socks, I really don't know, but something about these specific combos is damn right hot. I would even say that they've convinced me somewhat to maybe, just maybe, try out this trend myself. Damn you Burberry for pairing such cute sandals (well wedged sandals anyway) with such cute socks!

Cycle 13 of America's Next Top Model

2010-01-19T00:10:00.003Z

Yes I'm sad and watch this programme, but I think it's a great way to get tips about the fashion industry and even fashion itself (it's not because I'm secretly addicted to it that I watch it... No, never...). So far my favourite's have got to be Nicole and Rae. They're both gorgeous girls and take brilliant shots, although I think Nicole has more of a quirky edge than Rae because she's so introvert and interesting - and no, this does not just mean that she's weird.

Oh, haha, I just looked on the CWTV website and found out that Nicole is the winner. Yay :-)

Golden Globes

2010-01-18T23:14:00.004Z

As we all know, the Golden Globes 2010 was on today(or is it now yesterday?), so I thought it would therefore be extremely appropriate for me to comment on some of the dresses worn by the female celebrities (sorry guys, but I just don't really care about boring old suits). Some of my favourite dresses tonight were:
Elisabetta Canalis' Roberto Cavali dress. I ADORE the colour, and the Empire style with the cut-out midsection is a great style, especially on her.

Heidi Klum's Roberto Cavalli dress was stunning. It reminds me of a fairytale Princess with all the netting and pouffiness at the bottom.

Unfortunately, there are two dresses that jump to mind that I hate absolutely and they were Zoe Saldana's Louis Vuitton and Mariah Carey's Herve Leger. Unfortunately for Zoe, her dress looks like the ribbons were sewed on in the dark by someone who hates her, although the colour is, begrudgingly, gorgeous (it also doesn't help that I'm not a massive fan of Louis Vuitton). Mariah Carey's dress would have been okay, had it not been worn by her. However, seeing as though it was her that decided mistakenly to wear it on the red carpet, I can only say that it makes her shoulders and bust look comically enormous. And I don't care that Vogue appears to rate them among the best dressed women of the night, I don't think that they were.

Here's where I got the images from (sorry, I'm a technology reppelant so I haven't figured out how to add hyperlinks as of yet):

January Jones: http://cdn.buzznet.com/media-cdn/jj1/headlines/2010/01/january-jones-2010-golden-globes-red-carpet.jpg

Zoe Saldana: http://x17online.com/Golden%20Globes/zoegg.jpg

Everyone else: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1244052/Golden-Globes-Great-British-hopes-Carey-Mulligan-Emily-Blunt-lead-pack.html

Golden Oldies

2010-01-17T15:38:00.003Z

I was listening to my favourite golden oldies earlier it got me thinking about their style and what I love about it. The 70s and 80s really do seem to have been a time when you could more or less do whatever and get away with it. I mean, Punk and Grunge were big styles during those decades and have influenced fashion so dramatically that they're still massive inspirations today. For example Vivienne Westwood was a very punky designer back in the day, and to be honest she's still pretty out there now, which is what I love about her.

Pat Benatar, Blondie, Stevie Nicks. Three women of the 70s and 80s that I greatly admire and would love to steal their style. Bordering on grunge/punk, all three women carry off the grunge style amazingly and make it look glamorous. Oh what I would give to look good in a dress made of ripped up green material... (check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjY_uSSncQw to see what I'm on about)

Puppy Dog

2010-01-16T21:05:00.001Z

I was surfing the net earlier (during the time I should have spent doing a uni essay. oops) when I came across the cutest jumper I think I've ever seen at Topshop.com. It looks like this:

I love the colour of it and the fact that it has a cute little dog knitted into the pattern just made me fall in love with it. AWWW it's so cute! Granted it's 48 quid - which will stretch my lowly student budget a little - but I really think it will be worth it in the long run.

Plus I already have an outfit planned out to wear with it :-)

Knee-high boots + jeans = chav

2010-01-15T23:54:00.000Z

Okay, so this is my first blog (if you hadn't already realised by the many posts I have written, or the lack there of) and to be honest it's a little bit of an intimidating project.

For the purpose of this said blog, I will be known as Peachy, and peachy I shall be. I come from the chavvy-er part of London: the East End, and although recently a few really good vintage and thrift stores have began to pop up, the East End is relatively well known for it's, ahem, more "common" type of fashion.

Which conveniently leads me on to my next topic: knee-high boots and jeans. Due to the particularly pants weather London has had over the last few weeks, boots have been a staple piece of clothing (if footwear counts as clothing that is), which is of course understandable. No one wants to fall on their arse while trying to get to the shop, right? However, adverse weather conditions does not mean that any type of footwear/legwear ensemble is acceptable. There are plenty of combinations I could pick on at the minute, like wedged boots with fur and laces, but the one that really stands out is knee high boots. They look great teamed with a shorter length skirt and thick tights, or a long jumper and leggings, but I just don't like the effect they have on legs when worn with jeans. They automatically appear to me to shorten even the longest of legs and make your calves look a thousand times wider than they actually are, especially if their worn with boot cut jeans stuffed into the top of them - it just makes your knees looked deformed! So please, please save the knee highs for skirts, shorts or jumpers and bring out the shoe-boot or cute ankle boots to wear with all things trouserish and denim.