Time to say goodbye….to my wardrobe

You want a piece of me? Now it’s possible!! I am currently selling off a bunch of stuff on eBay, mostly things that I keep meaning to wear but then never do. It’s mostly American Apparel, and rarely worn – as I have mentioned on several occasions I have a wardrobe bursting with AA clothes, when I start rotating it can take months before I rewear something (first world problems….).

So, if you fancy a bargain, have a gander at my listings. There’s disco pants, and all sorts!

Happy bidding.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/iamjanealexandra/m.html?item=130704995936&sspagename=STRK%3AMESELX%3AIT&rt=nc&_trksid=p3984.m1586.l2649&_trksid=p4340.l2562

Images via americanapparel.net

Summer lovin’

So it’s really warm in London. Like, proper hot. On the tube, in the studio, walking around. I have spent the last week trying to balance wearing the least amount possible to not roast (I’m Irish, I’m not used to the heat!) and wearing enough work-appropriate clothes to not get fired for indecency. Here’s what I came up with today. My Nike basketball tank is one of my new favourite things, I got it in Brixton for £1. Win.

Not such a win is taking pictures in the morning – note to self: next time, check the light before you take photos. Idiot :/

Top, Nike, thrifted; Skirt & Shorts, American Apparel; Sandals, H&M

Disco Pants 2.0 aka Fat Girls in Shiny Trousers

I have been meaning to comment on something for a little while now. Recently, one of the searches used to find my blog was “fat people wearing American Apparel disco pants”. OUCH, sucks to be me. I’m a UK10/US6, not skinny skinny or model thin, but defo not fat. I have the “OMGGG I’M OBEEEEEEEEEEEEESEEEEEEEEE” moments. Which are not helped by eating greasy breakfasts in Premises and Pellici’s and I could probably (definitely) do with toning up and stop eating a million chocolate bars a day. I have fat on my body, but actually, I’m not overweight. Unless you talk to the internet. It has somewhat peeved me, because it has anonymously and insidiously knocked my confidence when I wear my favourite item of clothing. I LOVE disco pants. But now, when I wear them I feel just…..fat.

I have two points here. The obvious one is that I’m raging over the fat thing. Am I blinded by the shiny spandex into a misguided sense of security? Do I, in fact, look somewhere between a beached whale and boiled ham? Should I take the hint and put the disco pants away, fat girl. What IS a fat person in this case? Someone who has more than skin and bone to put in their disco pants? What is the line? Are disco pants a no-go for size 14 girls (or size 10 girls, seemingly)? What are the rules? While I think there’s a lot to be said for dressing according to your style and not your dress size, I definitely try to pick things out that sartorial venn diagram that flatter me*.  Why can’t these internet creeps do like normal people and just bitch about me behind my back, leaving me with my ill advised, happy shiny pants.

The other point is why disco pants cause such controversy. They are skintight trousers I suppose, and American Apparel are really good at marketing their clothes as provocative, but they are no more loud or extreme than a lot of things. However, they seem send out a weird message I am not fully aware of. Obviously, wearing tight things puts your figure on show, but I have loads of tight clothes, many of which are also American Apparel and disco pants just bring it to a whole other world of attention. I just like that they are SHINY, which is fun. They are more jazzy than skinny jeans and more sturdy than leggings. They are comfortable for doing things like dancing, and running around doing your daily business. And dancing. So I just don’t get why they always cause such a furore, and why people are so mystified by them. Maybe fashun has turned my brain into mush and I can’t see the obvious problem with wearing shiny pants like it’s a totally normal thing, unless you are some insanely thin person.

Anyway, here’s my “fat” self in my favourite things ever. There are two pics, because they are in fact somewhere between these two levels of shiny. Harsh flash + reflective surface = :/

Disco Pants & socks, American Apparel; everything else, charity shops and stolen from my mum

*Unless it’s too unbelievably-freaking-amazing-like-have-you-seen-how-cool-this-top/dress/trouser-is good to pass up. Then I will wear it anyway and not give a flying monkeys what anyone else says.

yea yea yea

Beleaguered with my lack of blogging recently, I have been driven to that state of mind…Much like when you forget a friend’s birthday and you want to make up by getting them a really good present, but the longer you leave it because nothing is quite right you have left it so long that it’s just embarrassing either way, and you should just have got that first thing you thought of….yea, so that’s this post.

So instead of making it up to you with something amazing, you are getting me. Wearing clothes. They aren’t even exciting clothes, if the truth be told. BUT, I am nothing if not honest, and this is basically me. I am working a lot, and I have also realised that I brought two giant suitcases with me to London, and have somehow managed to end up with no clothes to wear. Seriously, my new wardrobe is the size of a school locker, and it’s still not even full. This isn’t hyperbole. I am the worst packer in history. I watched a little video the other night by Diane Von Furstenberg about how if you can pack properly, you have your life in order (thank you Racked.com). I clearly do not.

Shirt, Jumper, Jeans, Socks: American Apparel, Shoes: Primark

So. Recently I told you about my quest for the perfect parka. I showed you a picture of a parka that I was thinking of buying. I did buy it. The website lied to me. It is MASSIVE. Medium my bum. But it is basically a duvet, and this makes me happy, because I dislike being cold. So while I look like a green Yeti in the thing, I am a very content, not-cold-at-all Yeti. The very best kind of Yeti.

Yeti coat: Army Surplus Store

That should really be the end of the story. But I have a small and well documented coat problem. So when I came across an immaculate wax jacket for £10 in a charity shop around the corner from work, it was in a bag on my arm before I knew what was going on. So now I sort of own the same coat twice. Oops. But look it’s fine, OK, because one is massive and for keeping warm, and the other is more fitted and for keeping dry. OK?

Deadly wax jacket: Charity shop round the corner

I possibly need to form a help group or charity organisation of some form – the Jane Alexandra Centre for Girls Who Can’t Stop Buying Outerwear…

 

A pair of pants that aren’t jeans

Day 6….

I am already beginning to regret committing to this, as it turns out that my “free time” is actually already booked up with a bunch of really time consuming things! However, in a very busy way, I am really enjoying getting back into blogging, and thinking and writing – and of course, I hope you are too!!

So, day 6, a pair of pants that aren’t jeans. Now you’re talking! Where I lack in jeans, I make up in slacks. How cool…….ahem. I mentioned yesterday how jeans shopping makes me sad. Slacks shopping is a far more therapeutic exercise, as modern trousers tend to have plenty of darts and other tailoring features meaning they cut a leaner figure. WIN.

And then there are Disco Pants. These lil babies came into my life when I started working in American Apparel. Let’s be clear about this, they are not leggings. They are not jeggings. They are shiny, skin tight, Sandra Dee trousers. I was terrified when I first tried them on, but there is something in the fabric that does wonders with your bum. If you don’t believe me, try it out for yourself! Disco pants are great for slouchy days, with an oversize top and a pair of easy shoes. They are great for nights out, with a fancy top and big heels. So much so that I own three pairs of them!  I’m not a skinny malink, but they are flattering on pretty much everybody. If you are curvy, they make your curves look like BAM! If you are straight up and down, they make your legs look ridiculously long and ridey. So, what else do you need to know? Not much. And, as per my blog challenge, here is me in my favourite Disco Pants – black, of course!

disco pants: American Apparel, shirt: Primark, shoes: Nicholas Kirkwood

Something for the weekend…

This is technically the second part of the first shoot I did with Julie for the california select blog. here are some of the photos that i like but that didnt make it onto the actual post (and obvo the ones that did!).

And coz it’s friday, i’m going to shamefully plug the fact that i am djing in the Chocolate Bar tonite, and it shall sound a little something like this…..

Happy weekend! xxxx