Pour myself a cup of ambition

I have not posted in a week. Which is bold. Sorry. But we’re fine, ok? Let’s just move on.

I love this dress. I bought it last year in New York, and at the time it wasn’t in style at all but it was so beautiful I had to have it. I am very happy that the whole ’70′s thing has kicked in, because this summer it’s going to be a really lovely thing to throw on with a nice pair of sandals or something. And the colour! Nom NOm Nom. In other news as of yesterday I am 60% finished my degree. So there will be celebrations tonight, because we were all to delerious, sleep deprived and just plain dead to do anything yesterday. Woop. Oh, and I got an email from American Apparel to tell me that one of the outfits I shared with you guys was featured on their best of seen and submitted. Which is better than a slap in the face with a wet kipper. Ha!

So I’m back to the velvet underground

Stevie Nicks. I love her. She seems like a total nutjob, but that makes her even better?? I mention this (again, I’ve already paid homage to her on this blog) because I recently saw this skirt in Oxfam. And it’s nuts. But I had to have it. It’s actually properly revolting, in a victorian governess kind of way. But it’s VELVET. And it has FRINGING. And it’s a really nice blue. Velvet. With Fringing. Mine.

So, I now own probably the ugliest skirt in the world. I’ve no idea when it was made, the tag is really old looking, and it’s really good quality, so I’m guessing it’s been around for a while. Seriously though, why did I buy a skirt that positively roars “SCARY SPINSTER LADY” to the outside world? To me, it’s all Fleetwood Mac and gypsy chic, but really, it’s a crazy lady skirt. Fuck it tho, it’s unreal.

So what did we learn today? Team ugly skirts with slightly slutty tops, and stick a scarf in your hair to turn Victorian Governess into Gypsy Chic. ish. Ha! 

You’re a Sham

I have been doing a bunch of research for college projects at the moment, which basically gives me free reign to trawl the internet to find interesting designers. Such as Leila Shams. I would describe her Spring Summer collection as tribal disco, with plenty of skin prints, feathers, floaty shapes and, eh, crocodiles. While I am not a big fan of her AW10 collection, I think she has summer just right.

Tribal disco? Yea, I know. But seriously, that’s the closest accurate description I could think of. I have a feeling that this stuff would go down very well at festivals too. Is it too early to start thinking about festivals?

There’s a change coming…

I’ve been sorting out some research for one of my college assignments and it occurred to me that this is the kind of humour I’m in. It’s unusual, because normally I’m in a rock-n-roll edgy Balmain/Givenchy/Balenciaga humour. But I am really liking the following aesthetic.

Heroin aside, Jimi Hendrix was a fierce ridey man. And he had some serious threads. And Yoko, well I know she was a bit controversial at the time, but she also had some pretty cool duds. And Annie Hall/Diane Keaton has been done to death, but what with the 70′s revival we’re seeing at the moment, it couldn’t be more appropriate. I only recently saw the film, morto for me.

I don’t know how long I’m going to last before I start pining for some gold studs or a bit of black leather, but I’m gonna make the most of it! x

Always late to the party

I bought a maxi skirt this week. It was kind of a big deal for me, because I’ve been avoiding them loads. It takes a lot for me to change my mind about something. Take clogs for example. They stuck their heads up probably about two years ago – I was horrified. Like, properly horrified. You may as well have been telling me that uggs and crocs were the new forward footwear. Then they put sheepskin INTO the clogs. How ridiculous, I thought. However, it turns out that humans are remarkably adaptable creatures, and after being exposed to enough creative styling in magazines and style blogs, I am no longer offended by them. But I feel like I would be a traitor to my former clogophobic self if I were to get on the clog bandwagon. Also, it has taken me so long to become comfortable with them that if I did end up actually getting a pair, they would be pretty much obsolete straight away.

clogs by janealexandra featuring patent shoes

And so it was with the maxi skirt. The maxi 2.0 doesn’t offend me, I actually quite like the silhouette. Maxi 2.0 is not to be confused with the Roberto Cavalli-esque uber-rich sexy glam beach wear type maxis that one might find in gaudy colours made out of questionable satin in certain high street retailers. I still think that they should be burned. Or recycled. Because burning isn’t very sustainable. But if the planet wasn’t totally fucked, I’d want to burn them, ok.

Sorry, enough hating, back to the Maxi 2.0. What was I saying….oh yes, sleek lines. Feminine, but not the candy variety. Comfortable, but graceful enough to be quite stylish. So if I like them then what’s the problem? In a word, hips. I have them. I have a bum too. And I have a deep rooted fear of garments that draw attention to the fact. That I just drew attention to…oops. So after running scared for the summer, I eventually tried one on in the new Forever 21 in Jervis (that place is MASSIVE). And it was comfortable. And swishy. The colour was wrong and the size was funny (is it just me or do their sizes run kinda big, and short?), but it didn’t make me look as whale-like as I was expecting. I think I’m just bad at change. The longer I wore it, the less weird it felt. Now I don’t know if I was misguided thinking that it would make me look like a whale, or whether I am misguided thinking that it doesn’t make me look like a whale…but either way I found one in Pennys that I liked & fit so I got it. I sort of hate myself for still shopping in Pennys, but I did, so what of it. (Note, the seams are shoddy and I had to attack the label so that it didn’t rip my skin off but the shape and the size of the skirt is good, as was the 11EU price tag).

So what’s my point? Well, a) I’m a late adopter. I think I hate change. Or rather, change that I don’t instantly like. I’m slow to come around to things. a.1) unless something blatantly doesn’t fit you, give it a minute or two before you pass it off. Your eyes might just need a few minutes to get used to it. If after a couple of minutes you still think it’s hideous, then it’s hideous. But sometimes, change just takes a while. And b) while it’s important to be aware of what suits our body shape, don’t be afraid to try new shapes because they might not be as bad as the image you have in your head?? But having said that, if they are, then AVOID!

Here’s me in my new hopefully-not-hideous maxi skirt. I am having a leopard print moment. And I’m fine with that.

Here are some other really lovely maxi’s that I have seen about the place. Choose a fairly straight, block colour jersey-type for a minimal look (they look kick ass with leather jackets and that), but there are some unreal sheer & printed ones floating around for the sartorially courageous among us.

Paul Smith SS11

Paul & Joe SS11

Temperly SS11

Think about me, Stevie.

There’s no getting away from 70′s inspired fashion at the moment. And if our ’80′s obsession is anything to go on, this new trend is gonna stick around for AGES! Expect the return of flares and disco. Actually I think the disco thing has already happened. I’m envisaging lots of browns & earth tones, fringing and teensy tiny floral prints with a bordeaux red background. Boho is (unfortunately) due for a comeback…

In a sort of totally unrelated matter, I have been listening to loads of Fleetwood Mac recently, Rumours is an UNBELIEVABLY great album. And Stevie Nicks has an amaaaaazing voice, and she was an unreal performer, who no doubt influenced some of the most successful female artists today. And that’s without mentioning the ones who just ripped her off completely. (I’m looking at you, florence!) From what I’v read and seen on tv documentaries, she is a total nutter, but Stevie’s style is timeless. I love the way she layered chiffon & lace & crochet, looking so delicate and urchin-y at the same time. She was great at wearing hats. She had unusual accessories (check out the bird in the pic below). And she wore a bunch of white, which is ALL the rage for Spring Summer 11. She is pretty much a total legend, even with the crazy.

To change the subject again, I recently bought a blanket scarf in Urban Outfitters. It’s a dream.

I think I’ve worn it almost every day since I got it – all my other scarves are getting insanely jealous. It’s not very 70′s at all. And not that Stevie Nicks either. BUT, IMAGINE (because I haven’t seen one anywhere yet) something like that shape in an interesting crochet?!!! yea? I want one. Stevie would too. And as soon as I find one I will buy it and share the details. And if you find one first, TELL ME!