Day 5 – Dilemma

I have a confession to make. I don’t really own any jeans. Which is odd, because I own plenty of denim. And multiples of most things. But really, I have 2 pairs of jeans that I wear with any sort of frequency. Which should make day 5′s challenge of “favourite pair of jeans” really easy. But instead, it has just made me aware of the fact that I don’t have a decent pair of jeans…

My first pair of jeans are an old battered pair of skinny’s that I got in Urban Outfitters years ago on sale. They have long since been relegated to when-everything-else-is-in-the-wash wear, and more recently, even further down the pecking order to print-day wear (read: ink & pigment stains all over them). Yes they are comfortable. No they are not favourites. NEXT…..

My second pair of jeans are my MOM jeans. I got them in a charity shop in Dalston for £2.50. Not bad for a pretty pristine pair of Paul Smiths. So far so good. They are really baggy, which I like. But I feel like I’m not really skinny enough to pull that whole super-baggy-mom/boyfriend-jeans thing off. In my head I’m going for that easy chic, masculine tailoring with a twist thing, but really I just look like a messy mess with wonky jeans. So I don’t really wear them out that much. Thus they are not my favourite either?

So, I guess it’s time I got a new pair of jeans? I have a voucher for Forever 21 so there are a few on the website I might indulge in…..And then of course, there’s Acne (droooooooool)…….Someone buy me some Acne, please?

Acne Jeans, nom nom nom

 

Slightly drop crotch Acne Jeans. I wish these would look good on me....

 

This is what I think I look like when I wear my mom Jeans. I don't.

 

I might buy these lil Forever 21 numbers?

 

Or maybe these? Again, Forever 21....

images via acnestudios.com, asos.com and forever21.com

Also, I would just like to point out how truly PAINFUL jeans shopping is!! Once you find the right pair it’s like meeting your soulmate, but man, what an ordeal. I recently made the mistake of half-looking for a new pair, and it properly ruined my weekend. Trying on a pair of jeans for the hell of it is a surefire way to make yourself feel truly crappy. Big calves and skinny jeans = tears. Bums and jeans = tears. Thighs and jeans = bucketloads of tears. Try on a baggy pair to cover the above up, look like a whale. Try find the right pair of skinny’s, minefield. No wonder I don’t have any jeans! Maybe I should hold off on the next reconnaissance mission until I’ve eaten a few more salads….

London Calling

Things I saw in London last weekend…

Acne. In EVERY deparment store. Everywhere. I guess I never really thought about it, but I suppose they are pretty much on the money – great shapes in interesting fabrics, and lots of black. It’s funny, because I generally like their stuff but never seek it out. And by the looks of it, I’m on my own there.

Acne Resort 2011

 

Acne AW10

Acne AW10

images via style.com & Acnestudios.com

Gruau & Dior in Somerset House. René Gruau is a really famous fashion illustrator, his use of line and composition is unreal. It was amazing to see his original paintings, that have become iconic campaigns for Dior. If you are unfamiliar with his work, I highly recommend you check him out, you will not be disappointed.

Selfridges shoe gallery. For about two hours…. It’s another world. I spent most of the time being quite sad what with the prohibitive price tags and heel heights. I consoled myself with a pair of patent punched leather chelsea boots from Topshop. I originally had my eye out for a pair of black loafers, but I didn’t see any I liked, and boots make more sense for winter. Win.

Brown’s Focus. For some reason I’ve never been in it before, but the place is unreal. I think my favourite piece was the Hussein Chalayan pleat sweatshirt. It was just the right combination of wearability & Chalayan’s forward design. Sadly the price tag wasn’t so wearable so it stayed in the store. Sigh.

Vogue Oct2010

Cos. I’ve mentioned this store before as a favourite place, and now there’s a concession in BT2. However, I wasn’t really impressed with the selection the BT buyers brought over, so I visited the much bigger and far-more-my-style Regent Street store. Got an amazing thick rib oversize cardigan. It’s a great shape, but the knit really makes it special. I can’t even figure out how it’s done, it’s like double knitting or something. I also had to stop myself from buying their collarless long blazer, it was divine, but that would have been a step too far. I wish Cos would sort out their website though – it’s pretty slick to be fair to them, but it’s a pain in the ass to use.

Pizza East. There was a summer-long running joke in our flat about going to Pizza East, and we never did, so I finally got Pizza East pizza on Sunday. It was pretty tasty, although we got take away so it was a bit cold :/ Next time, maybe. It’s in a pretty sweet space in the Tea Buildings. I’m not one to go on about food, but it’s pretty cool.

Columbia Road Market. Again, this is something I meant to do during the Summer, but the Sunday morning early wake up call meant it never happened! I managed to drag myself out of bed this Sunday (surprisingly enough, everyone else told me where to stick my flowers when I suggested they join me in the rain early in the morning) and headed over. It was the only time during the weekend I actually remembered to bring my camera out with me, so here’s what I saw.

Sunday Up Market. I lived around the corner from Brick Lane over the summer so I was so sick of it after the first couple of weeks I avoided it like the plague, but I had time to kill this Sunday so I went for a wander and got a giant Lion ring for a pretty nice price. Bargains are really hard to come by on Brick Lane/Spittalfields these days, so I was happy.

Friends. Nothing beats hanging out with friends and there was lots of that as well as the fashion things, epic win.

I came home very tired and pretty sick (my awesome new Cos cardigan is not waterproof even a little bit, sadface) but pretty satisfied with myself. WIN.

Come out ye Black & Tans

While I was perusing the AW10 collections last february, I noticed a theme amoung certain collections that I could only describe as “futuristic warrior”. Now to be fair, it’s more the runway styling that the actual pieces but it’s a fairly extreme look. Lots of leather, pannelling and fierce expressions. While I would probably balk at some of these entire look, I think there are some really interesting elements within each of these looks that could be used as inspiration. And those Gareth Pugh leather jackets are pretty hot. So what have we learned in todays lesson? That runway styling is not necessarily the suggested way to wear, merely a means to make maximum impact for press reasons. And that Gareth Pugh does marvellous things with leather.

Acne

AF Vandevorst

AF Vandevorst

Gareth Pugh

Gianfranco Ferre

Giles

Hermes

Louise Goldin

Rick Owens

All images via Style.com

Modern Life is Rubbish

Fashion makes me irrationally happy. Some people like food, some people like cars, some people like, well, actually, I don’t really give a shit about some people, I love fashion fashion fashion. BUT. Big ugly annoying BUT, I am hardly gonna go about my daily business in a Marchesa dress. Oh, to have the occasion for a Marchesa dress….No, sadly I am not an oligarch with fancy social engagements. I am a regular person, with regular sartorial requirements. As a design student, my clothes often get wrecked from various dyes and pigments and chemicals (the corrosive kind, not the fun kind…). As I drool over my fantasy wardrobe, I’ve put together a selection that is closer to what I actually wear on a daily basis. This whole ideal self/actual self stuff is really interesting actually, especially when you think of it in commercial terms. It’s the reason why designers like DKNY make such a killing – they dress our actual selves. Isabel Marant, one of my favourite new designers, does this exceptionally well, taking wearable pieces and making them just nice enough that we don’t put them up in the “fantasy clothes” category.

So, for those of us who don’t have fancy lunches, charity committee meetings or debutante ball invitations coming out our ears, here is a bunch of functional, well cut, wearable outfits. You will find similar versions all over the place, though you are probably too busy drooling at the fantasy clothes. I recently discovered COS, an awsome shop that sells what I would describe as designer chic clothes – clothes that people who work in design and creative industries would wear. Anyway, it’s great and pretty affordable, so I highly recommend it.

Is there a huge difference between your ideal wardrobe and your actual wardrobe? Or are you some level headed anomily who aligns your ideal self and your actual self? Or maybe you are an oligarch, and your ideal wardrobe is your actual wardrobe? Luck b*^£”!

J. Crew

Acne

Dries Van Noten

Isabel Marant

Michael Kors

Sykes

Thakoon

Vanessa Bruno

Images via style.com