Archive for the ‘Fashion Passion’ Category

If you’re a UK fashion blogger and haven’t picked it up already, BUY THIS MONTH’S COMPANY MAGAZINE! This month (April 2010 issue) is a fashion blogging special including many great tips for the avid blogger, as well as one to one interviews and articles from the industry’s most notorious bloggers. And I’m starting to use the word “blogger” far too much. Fantastic!

So today I’m presenting you with another outfit post. This outfit, however, poses a deep contrast to the less than modest outfit that was last week.
For the first time in forever I was confronted with a formal meeting (I’ll have to spare the inner details I’m afraid…) and that was a reason in itself to splurge on something new (including new shoes and a handbag, of course). I wanted to go for something smart but somewhat laidback for the Spring/Summer months. It was also vital that each item individually could be paired with other items to create intriguing new looks.

So nude, of course, was the way to go, and shall be until we long to see the last of it come the end of August. Beige trousers, courtesy of Zara, could later be paired with casual tees and moccasins for a laid back Summery look. The blush-coloured top, also courtesy of Zara, could be dressed either up or down by either layering it with plenty of bangles/necklaces for evening, or merely tucking it into shorts for day.
The H+M shoes (so beautiful, no?) are indeed fancy but will be saved for an up and coming wedding in May (an outfit post shall indeed be created shortly afterwards!)
And finally, the black blazer which is so old it’s practically vintage will be put to firm use this Spring when I will endeavour to experiment with wearing it for casual everyday use.

Question time: Do you like this formal outfit? How would you choose to wear any of the featured pieces? What are your favourite outfits for formal occasions?

Those of you who are regular readers of this blog will know miss Anna Jane here is hardly of the indie sort. My side parting is not exactly of the extreme gravity-defying sort and the peroxide on my head has yet to reach fluorescent proportions. Yet somehow, despite the lack of alternativeness about my person, I managed to rise to the challenge of morphing into an indie kid for a very different sort of night out.
The night involved lots of dubstep and drum & bass, followed by a lovely dose of old school/indie in a bar whose ceiling barely extended beyond the top of my skull.

As for the transformation process? Extreme side parting + slightly tousled hair + lots of eyeliner + blouse + skirt + tights + pointed brogues = sorted! Definitely not my usual style, but there’s no doubt that it’s fun to experiment sometimes. Who knows, I might start dressing like this more often.

And the pictures (apologies for the lack of full outfit pictures, but my camera is actually held together with a lot of cracked plastic and sellotape right now…):

Absolutely love the vintage-inspired heart pattern on this blouse. The blouse itself is cropped short, so I teamed it with a high-waisted black skirt and black tights to balance it out.

The pointed patent Primark brogues! These pictures were taken after my night out, so hence the tragic drink stains and dust marks.

You can’t really see the full extent of my hairstyle here, but I roughed it up quite a bit which is different to my normal style. Of course the look wouldn’t have been complete without a slick of bright lipstick and a gold plaited hairband!

So there you go. How to transform yourself from pretty normal to indie kid in the space of one evening. You likey?

Question time: Do you like to transform your style or do you mainly stick to the same looks? What looks have you experimented with in the past?

P.S. Sorry if you’ve been receiving weird messages from my Twitter. It’s not me, it’s spam, so just ignore it!

P.P.S Thanks everyone who voted for me in the Benetton: It’s My Time competition! It’s still not too late to vote – CLICK HERE TO GET VOTING!

Bit of a boring post today, I’ll admit. Floral top, skinny jeans, bit o’ leather and the good old boots I last posted about but couldn’t take a proper full length image because the Canon Powershot can’t handle it. I need to start a new camera fund. That’s after I get me a Macbook first. Hmm.

Sometimes, just sometimes, it’s good to ignore the eccentricities of high fashion and revert to a more basic, laid-back style. One thing fashion has taught me over the years is that dressing like a leather-clad Prima Donna doesn’t always give you as much credit as you may think. Not that I dress for compliments, mind you! But people are generally more fascinated by what you wear during your chilled out days than your lots-of-effort, LOOK-AT-ME days. (Don’t pretend you don’t have those days…). Think Jennifer Anniston for example. She’s hardly Miss Eccentric herself, but somehow the media still wants to know how she’s kitted out.

When it comes to a bit of casual fash, I’m all about the pretty tops and skinnies. I rarely wear anything else. It’s not exciting, but the pretty top part gives a bit of life and versatility. Ideal. Oh, and if the top is absolutely splattered with floral print, all the better. The floral trend is one trend I could never get sick of and if it ever becomes uncool I will either commit fashion suicide or wear it with a severe untrendy vengeance.

So my little fashion poodles, what do you wear on those ‘blah, I can’t be bothered to be quirky/eccentric/different’ days? Are you a jeans and top kinda person or do you opt for something else? Enlighten me!

P.S. JLS hoodies are so in this season and everyone should get one. Gemma Louise Dadson did not make me write this.

I’m a little late to point this out, I know, but nude definitely seems to be the way to go this season. And the next season too, it appears.
I like nude (the colour, not the naked sort). I like how it’s a refreshing change from the oftentimes too-painful-to-look-at neon brights which dominated the catwalks of the past few seasons. Believe me, looking like my favourite Stabilo Boss Highlighter pen was not a flattering look.

Whilst nude is nice, it does have the rather annoying ability to drain the paler variety of person of all colour and lustre. Basically, if you’re lucky enough to be dark-skinned, then embrace the nudeness, because you can’t go wrong with this shade.
If, like me, you’re more milkmaid than exotic goddess, then you need to be careful with this trend. I recently made the horrific mistake of wearing a so-nude-it-was-almost-white ruffle dress courtesy of H+M without any hint of a fake-tan to balance it out. Essentially, I just looked washed out. Not good.

So how to get this tricky shade just right? You have two choices. The first choice is: get a tan. Preferably out of a spray tan or bottle, because I won’t condone skin cancer on this blog. As long as you’re not frightfully orange, a light glowing tan will help to add contrast between your skin and fleshy-coloured garment(s), a point I didn’t manage to consider whilst wearing that damned ruffle dress.
Now for your second choice: be picky. Believe it or not, nude comes in a variety of shades, from the almost-white to the slightly tangerine varieties. The paler you are, the more tangerine-nude you should go, unless you’re willing to go for the tan option. Also, adding contrasting colours such as black to your outfit will really help to define the difference between the garment(s) and your skin.

So, there you have it. How to embrace one of this season’s (and next season!) hottest trends, without washing yourself out. And now, for some show off pictures of my most recent nude buys… (yes, I’m turning into a nude-hoarding whore, I should really stop it now). Look out for these item in future outfit posts! :-

(Clockwise from top left: top: Topshop, ruffled waistcoat: Topshop, necklace: Primark, bracelet: Primark)

Question time: what’s your view on going nude this season?

So it’s not quite Christmas yet, but I can justify myself.

Number one – these glasses are Gucci. And nothing Gucci is going to stay under my tree for long.

Number two – before these babies, I was quite literally blind. So technically, it’s as if Santa bought me some new eyes for Christmas. Yeah!

Yup... all that money for a miniscule logo. So worth it.

Glasses tin from Octopus which I couldn't resist. If you don't think this is cute, you obviously have no heart.

Ta-da! I won't ever take these off. Ever.

Cute, no? What do you think?