Archive for October, 2009

I don’t care if this is old news but Rachel Adedeji’s dress on last week’s X factor was the most beautiful dress I’d ever seen. Forget ball gowns and empire line floor-sweepers, this Manish Aurora creation is the business. Honestly, if I could choose one dress to wear this season, this would be it:

Isn’t it insanely gorgeous?! I think I’m more intrigued by the fact it looks like it’s covered in skittles. I wonder if it tastes like them too…

As for Rachel, I am so vouching for her this season! How she nearly got voted out two weeks in a row still baffles me.

COMING SOON: Shopping report from Southampton!

When I first came across the term “snood”, my initial reaction was “why snood?” Because, if you think about it, the words “scarf” and “hood” do not combine to make “snood”. They make “scood”. So well done Vogue, or whoever came up with that one.

So what do I think of snoods? Well, judging by Vogue.com’s recent gallery expedition, I just don’t know.

On the one hand, I can see these things proving fairly useful during Winter’s harsher months. Gone are the days of cold necks and long draping scarf tassels catching on door handles. Not only that, but the snoods featured on this season’s runways were oozing with style, from the urban neutral tones of Missoni and Burberry to the more provocative ruby reds of Fendi. Almost like Emirates-stewardess meets ice-queen-chic, but cooler.

Then again, let’s be serious for a minute. Would I honestly go out rocking a huge knitted head-embracing concoction whilst waiting for the rest of the world to catch up with me? Because readers, my friends, family and other associates will hardly be the first to jump on the bandwagon with this daring trend. And whilst I don’t usually have a problem jumping on the bandwagon when it comes to the latest crazes, I do when it comes to questionable headgear.

In a nutshell, I think I’ll be sticking to my trusty woollen hat, scarf and mittens this season. Somehow, the idea of looking like a cosy nun just doesn’t have the same appeal as I first imagined. If I do feel the appeal, however, I think I’ll be wrapping my never-ending granny scarf around my neck and head in the hope it will look the same, or something very similar at the least.

So fear not ladies, I don’t think you’ll be needing to don your snoods just yet. Remember wedges and gladiator sandals, and how they only seemed to appear trendy at least a year after they were “reinvented”? The same went for crop tops and jeggings – us normal people need to test the water with our toes before diving head first into the trend pool. So for now, I’m just going to sit and read Vogue and laugh at all those daring fashionistas doing it wrong and looking silly in their arguably “edgy” ensembles, whilst I play it safe in my hat, scarf and mittens.

QUESTION TIME: What do you think of snoods? Will you be rocking yours this winter, or like me, will you be playing it safe with the good ol’ hat and gloves/mittens? Leave your comment below!

Seeing as I have nothing else to write about, I thought I’d share a picture of Sunday’s mostly-black-but-not-so-wack outfit. Ok, so it’s nothing particularly special or awe-inspiring, but it features one of the comfiest dresses known to man, and for that reason alone, I feel it deserves a post to itself.

This dress, ladies and gentlemen, is my one true love, my saviour, my knight in not-so-shiny-but-black armour. This dress, ladies and gentleman, is the £16 Warehouse parachute dress. And I’m not going to lie; that £16 was the best £16 I’ve ever spent. Ever.

In reality, I’m not cut out to be a haute-couture-vintage-wearing-label-bashing fashionista. I know that. I just like my clothes. (Maybe a bit too much, but that’s not for me too decide). The point is, I’ve recently found myself waking up and reaching for the same old trusty wardrobe classics, day after day. Only very occasionally do I feel my inner artiste creatively surging through the mismatching garments and accessories, throwing anything together with as much creative endeavour as I can muster.

That’s why, my friends, the odd simple and ridiculously comfortable garment should be an acceptable statement piece within the wardrobe of any burgeoning fashion enthusiast. Providing, of course, it doesn’t involve tracksuit bottoms or anything which can’t be dressed up as well as down.

So ladies, a stylish but wonderfully casual and comfortable parachute dress is very much recommended for this season. Layer with long sleeved tops and tights to combat those winter chills, or simply belt up and accessories with long necklaces and big bangles for evening glam!

QUESTION TIME: What are your favourite staple pieces in your wardrobe? Do you have a simple dress or garment which you find yourself wearing time and time again?

I’ve just realised this post is very similar to a previous post regarding classic wardrobe items. Oops.

P.S. Big thank you to everyone who has complimented and supported this blog! You know who you are!

Fight as you might, there’s no denying that Winter is here. But fear not ladies, because if anything is going to save you from the sadistic whips of Winter’s winds this season, it’s your chunky knitted accessories.

Yes, it’s true, chunky is definitely funky. Topshop, Vivienne Westwood and Julien MacDonald were all at it this season, with scarves, jumpers and dresses emitting enough neatly-woven warmth to make your great-great grandmother proud.

Now, I know the term “chunky knit” hardly screams sex appeal, but that’s not to say you can’t be woolly and sexy at the same time. As with any fashion trend, it’s all about how you wear it.
Thankfully, knitwear, no matter how chunky, can be worn by absolutely anyone and everyone; from the lollipop-stick-skinnies to the more generously-sized apples and pears. So, as long as you accessorise with your body shape in mind, you can hardly go wrong with this trend.

Firstly, if you’re curvy, determine where exactly you are at your curviest. Those with broad shoulders should avoid covering them up with a knitted scarf, instead fixing the scarf in a neater knot around the base of the neck. Longer, narrow scarves are best for broader shoulders as they draw the eye downwards rather than across.
As for knitted dresses, jumpers and cardigans, solid colours will work better than mind-boggling patterns, which will confuse your natural shape. Don’t be too tempted to stick to darker colours however – bright colours can look just as good on curves as they can on more slender or athletic figures. This season, bring out your more daring side by experimenting with pinks and purples, and maybe some peacock blues as well!

Those of you with more slender builds: for narrow shoulders, drape a knitted scarf asymmetrically across your shoulders to instantly even out your figure. Dare to volumise with super chunky cable knits and grungy rips, and show off toned legs with a short jumper dress, opaque tights and ankle boots for cosy winter chic.

With that said, remember that no one can go wrong with a good chunky-knitted hat and matching mittens/gloves. The high street is full of funky knitted accessories, including some gorgeous fingerless-tramp-gloves-cum-mittens – some beautiful examples of which can be found by on Accessorize’s website.

So what are you waiting for ladies and gentlemen? Get chunky and get funky!

“Scheherezade is easy; a little black dress is difficult” – Coco Chanel

I’ve found myself totally addicted to all things black recently. As far as evening outfits are concerned, I don’t think I’ve been spotted in any other colour for the past month or so. Maybe it’s habit, maybe it’s just the influence of today; I’m not really sure. One thing is for sure though: black is here to stay.

When I was slightly younger I remember being told that skinny women shouldn’t wear black because it “makes them look scrawny and swamps their figures”. I also remember being told (possibly by the same source) that “bigger women should always wear black because it makes them look smaller”.
Now, I think we all know that’s not true, thanks to countless TV makeover programmes and “ask the stylist” magazine articles. What makes this advice sound even more barbaric to me is my own recent experimentations with the colour black. (I say “the colour black”, when I actually mean to say “black as an absence of colour”, but you know what I mean).

Just over a year ago I ventured to find myself the perfect little black dress for uni nights out. It didn’t take long to find it, hanging most forlornly and unnoticeable amongst rails of neon brights and funky patterns. It wasn’t vintage or ridiculously expensive – £29.99 from River Island in fact – but I knew I’d found the one when I found myself engulfed by strange women questioning its source that very night.
14 months on and I am sorry to say that dress barely fits. Its once flattering body con structure now bulges and threatens at the seams, thanks to a mostly pasta and vodka-laden appetite. That doesn’t mean to say I won’t hoard it forever more though, in the hope that one day I might just fit into it once again.

That’s not to say I haven’t found myself a collection of other LBDs in that time, however. Remember the sequinned dress? That’s black. Not only that, but I’ve since acquired a mostly-black-rose-patterned number with plenty of sheerness to keep me bang on trend for this Autumn/Winter (see image). That’s black.

It’s not only the dresses which are black as of late. Black leather trousers, black leggings, black skirts, black tights, black tops…. they’re all taking over my wardrobe in their plentifulness. Why? Because black, my friends, is beautiful, no matter what your size.

(p.s. Don’t be surprised to see some major changes around this place – a new, simpler and more practical theme is on its way, as well as a blogroll of all my favourite fashion blogs! If you’d like to do a link exchange with me, let me know!)