SS12 Trend Watch: Colour Blocking

Spring Summer 2012 Colours fit to eat! Pastels! Palest greens, blues, orange. Think Neapolitan ice cream in a wafer – gotta have your neutrals!

Colour blocking is hardly a new concept – in fact, it’s a wanky fashion term to describe wearing plain colour together. To clarify, plain colour as distinct from garments with print or embroidery or any embellishment. So, basically, wearing clothes that aren’t head to toe black. What they MEAN is successful and interesting colour combinations together to create a fresh look that generally relies on simple and clean silhouettes so as not to confuse the issue or to look like a big mess of rainbow. Which is a lot harder to fit in a headline. Also, the word block sounds quite designy and weighty and modern, and the colour blocking look is quite modern, so I guess it’s that thing where it sounds the way it looks like. Kinda like sizzling sausage. Also, when you think of it like a block of ICE CREAM, then colour blocking becomes delicious. Like ice cream…

Hmmmm, I appear to be on some kind of weird food kick. We shall resume normal, non-food related transmission soon, perhaps after lunch…In the meantime, here are my Spring Summer 12 colour block picks.

10 Cosby by Derek Lam SS12

Chloe SS12

Kenzo SS12

Matthew Williamson SS12

Matthew William SS12

Yes I know it’s a printed blouse, my blog my rules

Michael Van Der Ham SS12

Again, my blog my rules.

Mulberry SS12

Philip Lim SS12

Prada SS12

Theyskens Theory SS12

VPL SS12

Ok this one is blatantly print but I just love the colour story and so it stays, alright?!!!

Cozy up beside me

Autumn is here, much to my dismay. I am cheering myself up by pondering winter coats. Those that know me will know that I have a teeeeensie coat obsession…to the tune of twenty-odd of the things. Still though, I think I can justify perhaps a fresh one this season. Well, you know, fresh city, it just seems fair!

Giles AW11

Chloe AW11

Giles and Chloe rocking Gestapo chic, DELISH

So this is what I have been thinking….I am in the mood for something functional yet stylish, something that screams – I AM A DESIGNER, living in LONDON. haha. Seriously though, I’m only half joking. I want an oversize, anti-fashion, functional thing. I really like when garments go beyond fashion to become pure design, the beauty is in the simplicity, the lack of superfluous embellishment. A pocket where you need a pocket, just the right amount of warmth, a neutral colour that works with everything, the works.  As much as it is boringly on trend, I am really crushing on Barbour at the moment, if just from a quality perspective. The high street is flooded with imitators, but only the original is as warm as it is stylish….I just can’t decide which one I want more!

 

Barbour Beadnell

Barbour xLiberty Beadnell

Barbour National Trials

 

 

Living in Dublin, London, anywhwere similar,  means that for basically half the year, the most important garment you have is your coat. Because you need to wear one almost all the time. The most well thought out outfits have come undone by forgetting to incorporate the coat. And given that I am the whatever-is-closest-and-cleanest kind of dresser, getting a coat that says the right thing without having to figure out in-depth outfit plans is a major bonus.

 

Simone Rocha AW11

Celine AW11

 

Antonio Berardi AW11

Philip Lim AW11

Alexander Wang AW11

Contrasting textures & colours for added interest

I have been on the hunt for the perfect parka for roughly two years now. I have had terrible luck, because I didn’t want to pay loads of money, because in my head a parka is a casual thing, and casual things should be cheeep. But the high street ones are useless quality, flimsy and just not even worth the more reasonable price tags. Furthermore, the shape needs to be just right, long enough but not too long, utilitarian, just the right amount of oversize and straight.

Turns out I have been a FOOL, because I have found a bucketload of them on the interweb from army surplus style sites. Why I didn’t head straight there is beyond me, but now all I have to do is decide which of these babies is just right.

Aquascutum AW11

Dress Monster via Asos

Won Hundred

Swedish Military Parka

Or maybe a Duffel Coat? Maybe?

Burberry AW11

Christopher Raeburn via Brownsfashion.com

Barbour

 

I LOVE this colour!

Celine AW11

and the highstreet version…

Topshop

 

And finally, it’s not practical, nor affordable, but if someone wants to buy me this, I’ll love you forever…

Alexander Wang AW11

 

I wish it were summer

My blog challenge fell by the wayside after about two weeks, as most of the things on the list were just not my style. But the notion of summer clothes and got me thinking – what is my summer wardrobe? Do I even have one?

In September, like many other fashion nerds, I dutifully went through the catwalk shows, noting styles I might like to sport come springtime. This is noteworthy because I went through my Spring-Summer 11 file earlier, and found that many of the styles I lusted for back in September bear no correlation to what I am wearing now. Three collections (pre-fall, fall and resort) have since swanned down the runways, meaning that naturally, I have become excited with new shapes and colours.

The pace of fashion is a really topical issue at the moment, and the rate high street knocks out new styles has received not inches but miles of coverage in the media. Whether it’s a good or bad thing is for another day, but we are creatures who value novelty. A constant need for newness is what drives innovation and stops us from getting stale, a willingness to embrace newness is what keeps us relevant and connected with society. These are both good things.

But does that then mean what we call the Spring Summer collections are intended to be absorbed, digested and excreted before spring has even sprung? A 6 month lag time would make even the most patient person bored. And with the speed of the high street turnaround, designers really can’t afford to take that long in production. It’s not really for me to say how to reorganise fashion weeks, but there is clearly something amiss.

With all that in mind then, I looked back at the trends from September’s shows to see what I still dig, and a few things that I really do not.

Chloe SS11

Still can’t get enough nude tones. Although I wear midi skirts (and knife pleats) less than anticipated; same with leather tops. Although it’s not for a change in taste, just can’t seem to find the right ones.

Viktor & Rolf SS11

If anything, my appetite for shirts has only grown since September. I have a ridiculous number of them, although none as awesome as this Viktor & Rolf number. Sheer is another trend I have thoroughly embraced, and going back to work in American Apparel is feeding that addiction at a dangerous rate!

Rebecca Minkoff SS11

Cigarette pants, cut-out shoes, big necklaces. Check. Mustard, check. However, this does not feel fresh or exciting anymore, it’s more like a go-to utilitarian look.

Jil Sander SS11

Forals & Maxis. Despite making both a massive part of my final collection in college, I am wearing both…well, not really at all…I really love the look, and this Jil Sander dress is AMAZING, but somehow I can’t find a way to fit maximal print into my wardrobe. Having said that I have a few ideas to translate my prints into more wearable garments, so stay tuned to see how I make this happen!!!

Marc by Marc Jacobs SS11

STRIPES! Ms. Prada totally ruled on the stripe front for Spring Summer 11, but I love this outfit, as it has a ’70′s theme that I am starting to embrace (I tried on a floppy hat in work the other day and I can’t stop thinking about it…). Also, I want that hair….

Costume National SS11

So this is basically what I want to look like almost all the time. All, like, designer-y and shizzz… “Black-out summer” was one of my trend folder titles for this summer – I am a demon for black on black, so it’s like they made this one for me!

Givenchy SS11

Looking like a goth is cool right? Chiffon everything to soften the look, and I really want to unpick the sleeves of one of my blazers.

Dries Van Noten SS11

And I still want a Dave Byrne-esque blazer! I love the way it has a louche line, with the lapels coming right the way down.

3.1 Philip Lim SS11

This colour palette is still going strong for me, and shorts are proving a perennial favourite. Neutrals and black and blue are like the subtle girl’s guide to colour blocking!

Moschino SS11

And finally, my old trusty favourite, mom jeans! Teamed with leather jacket. It’s as if Rossella Jardini saw me on the street or something…I kid, I kid.

Holly Fulton SS11

And finally, these pants are in the still-not-wearing category. As with the full-on floral thing, I like them, I just don’t have the balls to wear them. Although I think print and wide legged trousers are here for the next while, and I’ll be in London soon, so watch this space!

 

Can I Have It?

Today’s challenge of “an outfit you wish you had” ties nicely in with my desire to share my thoughts on the Resort 2012 collections. I really enjoyed looking through all the collections, as I felt like recently despite being totally immersed in the creation of fashion things, that I was totally divorced from what was going on outside my little bubble. So, since I last checked, I realise that I have developed a penchant for massive trousers, and more print than usual. I still like shirts, although I could have told you anyway, seeing as I bought three of them the other day…So here are the outfits I wish I had from the latest collections…

3.1 Philip Lim Resort 2012

Alexander Wang Resort 2012

Celine Resort 2012

Celine Resort 2012

Chloe Resort 2012

Erdem Resort 2012

Givenchy Resort 2012

Jason Wu Resort 2012

J Mendel Resort 2012

Jonathan Saunders Resort 2012

Preen Resort 2012

Proenza Schouler Resort 2012

 

It’s quite a varied selection, granted, but I think the overall feel is a sort of relaxed glamour, luxe sportswear, classic shapes with a twist. I am continuing my love affair with shirts in all variations. Leather and print feature heavily in my favourites, although I don’t think it’s indicative of the general mood of the season, but rather my own preferences. If I was severely loaded…I think I’ll play the lotto tomorrow…

PS Full review of the NCAD Grad Show to follow, either this eve or tomorrow.

PPS This is where I got the post title from, they have disabled embedding, but click the link it’s fierce funny!

MAD TV – Can I Have Your Number

 

Resolutions 2.0

Before I forget, the Irish blog awards 2011 are open for nominations. So, if you have a favourite Irish blog, click HERE and vote for it. You don’t have to be in Ireland, or from Ireland, just a reader of an Irish blog. I have a section of Irish bloggers on the right sidebar,if you wanna check some of them out. There are popculture, lifestyle (*fashion & beauty blogs are part of this one*), and arts/culture, so I highly recommend that you shout out your favourites and give them the props that you feel they deserve. Oh, and you only have to do it once, and you don’t have to sign up to anything or agree for facebook gremlins to know what you had for breakfast!

Anyway, this year I resolved to start a photodiary. It’s a fairly straightforward resolution, but true to resolution form, I’ve been shocking bad at keeping it. Here are a few examples of things I have seen this month, I have put the rest of them on my Tumblr (click there). Also, normal programming will resume when I have finished my thesis (next week). It is currently sucking the life out of me, as well as rendering me incapable of speaking or thinking in any sort of coherent way. Soz.xxx

 

 

 

 

*****oops, i almost forgot, this shit is the funniest thing i have seen in AGES.

Gimme some (head) space

 

The other day I noticed something that has been bothering me since. There is no clean white wall in my living space. In my whole house there isn’t one wall that is without a bookshelf or picture or radiator or some piece of furniture shoved against it or some other thing. I think what’s really bothering me about it is that it’s not cluttered enough to be pleasing to the eye, nor is it clean enough to be calming. It’s a terrible in between house, which is my least favourite and makes me feel a bit sick.

And while I do adore floor to ceiling bookshelves, and walls that are jam packed with pictures & mirrors, right now I am craving a white wall. With nothing, not even a skirting board on it. (Actually, what’s the story with skirting boards??!!). Just like minimal in one part of the house, one space to breathe, and then the rest can be as cluttered as anything. I’m not going to go on about interiors loads, coz it’s not my thing, that has just been annoying me. To bring it back to what I know, it’s like every so often, feeling the need to wear no colour. It’s always the days you are a bit distracted and need to focus, or when you have to really concentrate on something. Colour and pattern can be (no, scratch that, they ARE) distracting, in living spaces and on your body. Sometimes you just need a neutral block colour to give your eyes a break.

Vogue March 2004

Vogue March 2004

You’ll Catch Your Death

It’s coooold. Sosososososo cold. The cold brings out my inner granny, and I give up trying to look half decent and turn into a giant ball of clothes. I no longer care about lines or colours, only the possibility of a draught getting through my ballo’garments. I know, I’m a sartorial trainwreck. For the past few winters tho, I have been stockpiling Aaran sweaters (the proper, not very pretty ones, as opposed to the lovely but not warm at all versions) and my favourite anti-brrrr secret weapon – CASHMERE.

 

This is a cashmere goat, isn't he cute?!

Cashmere is delicious for two reasons. First it feels amaaazing. Soft, fluffy but not annoyingly so (ahem, angora). Secondly, it’s super warm. Like, supersuper warm. One cashmere jumper is roughly equivalent to a jersey longsleeve top, another cotton/acrylic knit jumper and then a bigger jumper/cardigan over. Seriously, I have tested this theory, so it’s basically a science FACT. Cashmere has given me back some semblance of style in winter months, which is roughly two thirds of the year – it’s Ireland after all. I know I’m always banging on about the quality of fabrics and that, but when ur freezing it’s a no brainer.

The third reason cashmere is delicious (I lied when I said there were two reasons) is that it has become crazy affordable. Last year I bought a 100% cashmere jumper in Penney’s for 40euro. Or possibly 60, I am a little hazy on last week, never mind last year, but even still, 60 quid is ridiculously good value for cashmere. And to be fair to Penney’s, the jumper has lasted really well. I also devour M&S cashmere (I told you I turn into a granny). It’s slightly more expensive, about 70-80 euro, but it’s better quality, thicker (and therefore warmer), and they do more colours. JCrew is like the Gap of cashmere, they have a huge selection of basic jumpers and cardigans and other cashmere things, it’s expensive, but not extortionate. Having said that, it’s a bit too rich for my blood

Most high street stores now sell garments with Cashmere-bend fabrics, but be careful with those, check exactly how much cashmere is in it. I’ve found ones with as little as 3%, with the rest of the yarn being acrylic, which is pretty much a sham. When you are buying cashmere, it’s a good idea to get the size or even two up, unless you want that super fitted look – it has a tendency to cling to the body, so a bit of space is good. It’s nothing to do with your body shape, it’s just the nature of the wool, so don’t be getting all huffy and weird about the number on the label. Also (and I can’t stress this enough), despite my passionate aversion to doing so, it’s really important to handwash cashmere carefully with detergent that is kind to wool. Don’t ask me why (because I’ll just have to make something up), but it works. If you don’t believe me, do it the other way and come back to me when your favourite new sweater is all shrunk to the size of barbie clothes and bobbled to bits. I won’t say I told you so, but I’l be thinking it.

You know when I said cashmere is affordable. Yea, well some of it is. As with all things in life, the most covetable stuff is stooopid pricey. Sigh…

Vince – EU261

Thomas Wylde – EU1,910

Pringle of Scotland – EU2,035

Duffy – EU328

Donna Karen EU2,145

Chloé – EU994

This is a cashmere goat, isn’t he cute?!

all images via net-a-porter.com

The Colour of Winter

If peach was the IT colour of the summer, then camel is autumn’s new crush. There have been heaps and heaps of posts about it on all the blogs and fashion websites, and here’s my two cents. I’m gonna leave coats to another post. And, if I am being totally honest, it’s more of a collection of neutrals. But they are still mad pretty. So enjoy.

Alberta Feretti

Alberta Feretti

Cerruti

Chloé

Marc Jacobs

Roland Mouret

Valentino

Veronique Leroy

Derek Lam

Vivienne Westwood

Images via Style.com

I want that Chloé outfit so bad. But with an acute lack of funds, I shall settle for the delicious camel jacket I got last year. Actually it’s more of a biscuit colour, paler than camel. I’m almost looking forward for the weather to turn cold enough to wear it. Almost.

Don’t shoot the messenger (bag)

Messenger bags have been ubiquitous with the fixie/courier scene for aaaages now. It’s a style statement, a message to others that you are SERIOUS about cycling bikes. Grand. And I get it, and it’s cool, and functional and blah blah blah.

I’m a girl. I don’t want one. But I do cycle a bike and any other girl who has tried to cycle with a stylish bag will hear me when I say a lot of bags out there are useless for cycling. Like where do you put them? On the handlebars? That’s annoying….On the rack at the back? That means those elastic things that look like they’ll take your eyes out…..hmmmm. grrr. But, it would seem that designers have been having the same problem on their super cool trendy fixies/dutch bikes/other cool bike types i dont know the names of, because I have started noticing more and more bike-friendly bags everywhere. It’s really quite a simple design solution, in the sense that most bags become cyclable when you add a long strap to them. However, the handles draped on crook of arm look has dominated the accessories market for years now, so designing bags to sit longer on the body is pretty much the handbag equivalent of going from super bodycon mini to flared and flowy maxi. The “across the body” bag has caused a bit of a stir in the style pages, with clebs and fashiony types getting papped with their bag hanging from their body. IMAGINE!!! Funtion AND fashion?!!!! MADNESS!

This is one of those nerd things that I find really interesting because *warning i’m about to get all nerdy* – it shows how fashion is directly influenced by the ways in which people choose to live their lives and how designers come up with design solutions to these lives. It is also interesting that fashion and trends are as much inflenced by functionality as aesthetics. This current over the body trend is a result of people wanting to live a healthier/more eco lifestyle and then other people who dont know one end of a bike from another think it’s cool and buy into it because Alexa was papped with it. *Phew, nerd rant over*

Anyway, clearly noone really reads blogs and only visits them for the pictures, so here you go, I shall prove my point in visual format. x

Tory Burch Carson Messenger

Proenza Schouler PS1

Marc by Marc Jacobs Sophie Saddle bag

Miu Miu

Isabel Marant Frangie

Chloé Paraty. Nom

Chloé Amy

Alexander Wang Sydney Velvet Backpack

I just realised I forgot to put the Alexa Mulberry in there. It’s pretty much the poster bag for cycling/satchel/”across the body” bags today. Although I personally prefer the versions above. So, eh, I guess my blog my rules. xx

So Last Season. So What?

Fashion has a tendency to lose the run of itself. Well, actually, people have a habit of blaming clothes for their own tendency to lose the run of themselves, but to hell with taking responsibility for your own actions – let’s blame fashion. I say this is because “fashion” these days moves at warp speed. Driven in no small part by the knock off merchants, I mean the high street, the rag trade mentality seems to drive fashion in terms of sales and selling new things to people like me every two weeks. TWO WEEKS!

Sorry, but I call shenanigans. We have allowed money makers to let us replace values such as craftsmanship and design integrity with newness, constant shiny newness. It doesn’t matter that the quality of the fabric is bad, it doesn’t matter that the design is poor and that the cut is rubbish. If it is new, it is good, right??

So if new is good then old is bad, yeah? To be “last season” is the ultimate fashion faux pas of our society. I guess there are sociological reasons for this… technology moves so fast, the world we live in…blah blah blah….but I mean COME ON!!!! We are obsessed with vintage, yet we look down on last season? Not vintage enough, it’s inauthentic and it’s not new enough to be relevant. REALLY?!!

Wow, I didn’t realise I was going to have such a rant. Heh, oops! To bring things back to a more light hearted note, below are a bunch of last season’s clothes. And they still rock. It’s handy to look at our old clothes to see what can be reworked into our current wardrobes. A good trick when wearing last season (always handy around sale time) is to pick something that is classic or so completely out there that it never really fit into a season as such to begin with. Doing things like changing the belt or the buttons on clothes can update them. I know that sounds really stooopid but the difference between a shirt buttoned all the way up and three buttons down is huge!

And then there are just some things in every woman’s closet that they love so much who gives a flying fuck whether people think they are this season, last season, soooo last season its not even funny or just plain ugly. If you love it, wear it. Even if it’s just around your bedroom!

Moschino Cheap & Chic SS09

3.1 Philip Lim SS09

3.1 Philip Lim SS09

Alexander Wang SS09

Badgley Mischka

Balmain SS08

BCBG Max Azria AW09

Celine SS09 (how awesome is that necklace?!!)

Chloe SS09

Erdem SS09

Malandrino SS09

Marchesa SS09

Max Azria SS09

Prada Resort 2010 (not technically last season yet, but too good to leave out!)

Rodarte SS09

Tibi SS09

Tory Burch SS09

YSL SS09

(all images via Style.com)