Theatre theatre theatre...

In danger of turning this into a theatre blog rather than a style-boy moaning hybrid...

The Arsonists was fantastic... I thought Rhinocerous was brilliant, but this one blew me away. They were two such different plays, and each was mesmerising... the actors managed to play their roles in both so well, you wouldn't even know they were performing two completely different plays at the same time.

Anyone in London, I'd advise a trip to see either! Rhinocerous is a theatre of the absurd comedy on individualism and conformity, while The Arsonists is a crushing comment on the destruction wrought by appeasement.

Right, that's my play plug done... Quite tempted to go see one or both again to be honest, though have a feeling finances will constrain me - I have two plays already booked at the Royal Court for January and February, and am lusting after several plays at the National and the Globe for Feb and the summer... I can feel a lot of debit card bashing coming on!

And a lot of trips back from cam to london... oops!

This isn't helped by the fact I'm going to Rome for 4 days in the middle of term... hmmmmmmmm... and I thought this was going to be a non-stressful term... there's a reason college wants us to apply for exeats ya know... bugger!!! hehe

Niiiiight!

Xxxc

Home is where the Heart is...

After a rather icky term, I'm so glad to be back on home turf...

I postponed / shortened a bit of work experience down in Southampton so I could come home, rest, recuperate, relax and enjoy home for a little bit on my own before my friends get back from birmingham / nottingham / warwick / southampton and things get going again. When they get back, I'll, as ever, be in a constant whirlwind. Trying to work out how to fit in everything - time for them, time for family, time for uni friends, time for ex-work buddies, time for me!

So yesterday made a rather big splash in the time for me pool.

It all started out rather annoyingly, with oversleeping and walking in the rain to get to the tube... Never fun.

But all turned out ok, as even though I thought I was HORRENDOUSLY late, I was exactly on time to meet my godfather in Canary Wharf... We were having a very serious 'career chat' that I won't bother you with the yawnsome details of internship applications, and 'networking' (zzzzzzzzzzzz), but it was lovely to see him and bond over strong coffee and distaste at a shop window displaying a suit made out of snowman print fabric... ick! ;-D

So, when we were done, and he rushed back off to a very important meeting, I was at a bit of a loose end. I didn't want to go home, as I'd end up doing nothing, and I only have very little time this holiday to indulge in London.

A quick bit of shopping later - gold jeans for monday's led zep concert (friends and family ticket - oh yes! does mean my outfit has to be up to scratch... tho going with mother and other oldies so not as if I'll manage to impress anyone with that entourage hehe!)

Off I went to go through the first of my little homecoming rituals... My trip to the V&A. I was ever so proud of the fact that I managed to fit in both the special exhibitions - lee miller (amazing woman!) and the golden age of couture (some of those dresses!!! sigh...) - as well as my traditional peek into the raphael cartoon gallery and a quick wander round the fashion section.

Being in chelsea always makes me happy. Moving from there to the suburbs may have made my parents' choice of school easier, and given us more space for the endless clutter that stretches through every room of the house, but I can't help but wish we still had those rooms with their view over the King's Road, two minutes away from the cinema and my favourite theatre...

Anyway... I wandered off down the King's Road, stopping for some food shopping, before thinking it might be nice to pop to the Royal Court to see if they had any tickets left for 'Rhinocerous'...

They did - and OMG!!! Brilliant play - absolutely hilarious! I'm going to see 'the arsonists' - the other play in this company's repertoire - tonight 'cos I enjoyed last night's so much... This is, of course, nothing to do with the fact that the lead is shit hot and was giving me the eye in the bar afterwards... (surprised the hell out of me - things like that just don't happen!!!) before I had to run off like blimmin' cinderella because my parents deigned to decide to pick me up on their way home from dinner - feeling like a 12 year old... lol - Darn it!!!

If only I'd left a shoe ;-)

I do find it amusing that I always manage to develop things for stage actors, never film actors... hmmmmmmmmm... eeeen-ter-est-eeeeng!

Right, must dash and do something productive...

Xxxc

Tagged!!!

Right, so I've been tagged in The View From Here and now have to tell you 7 'interesting' things about myself... well, i'll do my best anyhoo...

1) I'm obsessed with cathedrals - I'm completely a-religious, but there's nothing I like better than a good archaeo-ecclesiology session to get me going on the geekyness. I work for the archaeological consultant to an architects firm specialising in historic buildings specifically cathedrals every winter.

2) My favourite places in the world are Wells Cathedral, The Rothko room in the Tate Modern and the garden of the Rodin Museum in Paris...

3) I work in the ADC theatre at Cam, as a costume wench, occassional lampie and stitched publicist. I'm publicist on the CUADC committee ( - the overarching uni-wide drama soc that owns its own theatre - ) and am president of the theatre techies association. The latter is basically just about being sociable and organising dinners and garden parties... woo!!!

4) I have double jointed thumbs... it's fun!!!

5) My favourite music is very fixed - I rarely add new stuff to my most-played artists, and as such, I've liked Sarah McLachlan and Black Lab for ages, and it's constantly on my itunes

6) I've got a mildly obsessive personality, which fits the profile perfectly for 'early onset' of chronic fatigue syndrome / M.E. which I've struggled with since I was 12. I was off school for two years the first time around, and for 4 months in my A Level year.

7) I play the tuba and take basic french lessons. I speak a little German and never sing in public.


See, I'm boring! ;-D


I'd like to tag-
Soule Mama
Style Bytes
Style Bubble
Kingdom of Style
Spork Fashion


I know that they've all been tagged before, but they're my main reads, and as such, it has to be done!

Xxxc

I'm Back!!!

Hello all,

After a dreadful term with the sprain, then a massively rushed show to costume in 3 days, then ill-ill-illness (yes, i'm just plain sickly...) it's the end of term, and I'm relaxing and unwinding and getting back to blogging...

Yay!!!

Xxxc

Injury-delayed

Dear all,

SorryI havent posted since the summer - I've got what can only be escribed as a right pain in the arse in the form of a severe sprained wrist with associated tendonitis. Typing that last sentence took way too long - thus I'm not blogging til it's healed...

Hope everyone doen't abandon me!!!

xxxc

Signature Scent

For a while now, I've not been wearing perfume... mainly because I kept losing the bottle - so I really only have myself to blame.

I love perfume, in a kind of, love the image of some sophisticate wafting around with a hint of her signature scent revealed only to the few who get close. I think I had that (minus the sophisticate and wafting bits - i'm 'eccentric' and i clump about...) for a bit with my Angel Innocent parfum... but part of me post-school relationship has been subconciously stopping its use by being disorganised and messy so as to prevent finding the bottle for that fateful spray.

So I've moved on. Innocent is definitely in the past - along with my shame, sense of sartorial decorum and the various toxic relationship issues I've had... I do remember very vividly being told by an ex that my perfume lingered on his pillow, making him think of me all the time. Now, sweet as that may have been, I have no desire to return to being that person...

On to the future I declare... being without a scent for nigh on 10 months has been excruciating. There is something about perfume that is so erotic, so mysterious (I'm not talking about the cloying, sweet and mass marketed variety here... god help anyone with Jade Goody's perfume as their signature scent... [oh god, I'm being a snob... *slaps wrist* - sorry!] )

It takes quite a lot to plough into the perfume department of any shop, and I hate it. It gives me a headache. So the search had been non-existent really, left by the wayside in a busy life, until the Paris trip...

One of my first ports of call in the city must always be Colette. This shop is AMAZEMENT INCARNATE! Mother and I spent hours in there browsing the music, art, cosmetics and clothes... It is the concept store to end all concept stores... (photos aren't allowed otherwise I would be tempting and tantalising you with the images of decadent yet minimalist and oh-so-french goodness)

The perfume bit is small, yet (cliche coming...) perfectly formed. They had a perfume mixing desk as well as a select few brands to browse. These included Prada, Marc Jacobs' Daisy, Comme des Garcons, Juliette has a Gun and Molecules. On entering Colette, the idea of a new scent had not even occured to me, but the sheer comfort in the perfume zone was enough to tempt me into spritzing a few scents onto various pulse points. Since our hotel was literally round the corner, we were in no hurry to make a choice (unlike the usual perfume hunting expedition where one is watched by beady eyed purveyors of headache inducing toilet-waters...).

After wandering around the rest of the day, sniffing various parts of my arm regularly, I fell in love. The scent I chose cannot be called light, or subtle, but it is not cloying, nor does it leave a trail behind you. It stays where it's put; it lingers like a dark exotic, erotic shadow. It smells beautiful yet damaged... Sigh.

Not everyone will like it - my friend commented that it was a little heavy. It is, but only when stuffed right up to the nose, with its notes of (here goes the list...) labdanum, cedarwood, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, honey, clove, nutmeg and sandalwood, my perfume is hypnotic, and, I hope, really suits me; where I am right now; where I'm going...

It's Comme des Garcons' Original... and I'm in love.

Signature Scent glory, here I come!

Sample Sale Goodness...

Not living in London all year round becomes quite an annoyance when, while I'm at uni, I hear of sample sales a-plenty going on... Up until this last week, despite knowing about too many for my piece of mind, I hadn't ever quite made it to one.

So, being able to get to the bStore on Friday with my friend "Opera", was a treat...

Now, being unfamiliar with the etiquette of such things, it did not occur to me that one had to go and actually ask how to get down to the basement... I thought there'd be signs! But after wandering in, then out, then in again, I finally managed to go and ask at the till, where I was directed through the door behind them into their basement! Excitment incarnate!!!

It was odd to be looking at so many gorgeous shoes and clothes within my price range yet higher in uality and innovation than I can usually afford...

Even better, the clothes weren't just smalls and 6s - and though I ended up only buying a pair of shoes, I felt quite good being able to actually fit into some of the wares on display ;-D

I fell in love with several pairs of shoes - notably a pair of black wedges with tassels and some brogues, but eventually settled on these Eley Kishimoto ones...



(Susie Bubble bought the other Kishimoto ones - here...)

I even managed to wear them this weekend in Paris (posts on my little break to come...) - so comfy despite height...

They have made me very happy, and I look forward with much anticipation, to many such gloriously fruitful sample sales in future!!!

Beauty is Pain

Ouch...

Just got half my body hair ripped out it seems...

My eyebrows have been vaguely troll-like for quite a while and finally took the plunge today and had them tiny-fied... scary to see...

Not quite as scary as the Brazilian bikini wax... Wierdly, I don't scream the house down ( - possibly due to a cocktail of paracetemol and ibuprofen :-s - ) - but it still BLOODY HURT!!!

All in the name of a Parisian holiday to a spa hotel in the centre of the city. Should be amazing. I feel quite like the hair ripping was a cathartic act... not one I like repeating particularly much... but I suppose in this day and age, there are certain things that are beauty givens. And I should, I suppose live up to them.

Grumble. ;-D

- On a related note... I do hope I manage to fit some shopping in this weekend... shoes, handbags, beauty stuff and other accessories are on my list - mainly because mother and I had a big conversation this afternoon about getting my weight down. She has never been one to advocate it, but I'm starting to really suffer self-esteem-wise and I do have some issues with eating to punish myself - so it's a sensible idea to think quite seriously about sorting the size-increase. JOYOUS!!!

Puffing and Padding

I was in Camden yesterday, shopping with the complication mentioned in my last post, and we went into Cyberdog.

Now, while I'm not a big one for the London clubbing scene, I can occassionally be a bit of a raver. This situation is more from lack of time, money and energy than a lack of wanting. So visiting cyberdog is always a lesson in restraint.

But yesterday, I almost gave in. Most of the stuff, one wouldn't wear outside of a place like Fabric, but a pair of trousers really caught my eye. Ludicously expensive they may have been, but relatively on trend they were too...



ok, so they are quite possibly hideous - but with a draped grey tank top or a bright shirt, I think they could work...

How to be a nice person...

Don't follow my example.

Fact: Playing with fire is dangerous but Oh so seductive...

The traditional love triangle has been replaced by a love parallelogram with attached venn diagrams... Everyone 'loves' at least two other people - some people know, others don't. It's all very complicated, and ultimately, somebody is going to get hurt... I don't really know how to get out from this tangled web we've woven, but the time has definitely come for damage control.

I spent yesterday with the one whose introduction into the group dynamic sparked all the complications. Realising at the end of our time together that I was being unfair and selfish if I stayed any longer - not only on him, seeing as I can see no future for us ( - I love him as a friend, find him attractive etc etc, but am In Love with one of his good friends and care more about the friends who are in love with him than about him... - ) - but on our mutual friends to whom any relationship beyond friendship of ours would be a kick in the gut.

There is something very tricky about navigating the waters of relationships between bisexual men and straight women - if a man is just gay or straight, they are easier to deal with; easier to trust. Revealing my soul to a guy who I thought had no ulterior motives - at the time misunderstanding his sexuality - I was setting myself up for this fall.

I wondered if I wished I could turn back time. If I would never have kissed any of them. If I would never have gotten involved, as a confidante, with any of them. If I would never have begun a relationship with a guy so emotionally damaged and insecure that I find myself acting like its his friend I'm in a relationship with, not him, in a bid to counterbalance my loss of control over the situation.

But I don't really wish any of that. I just wish there was a way to sort out the complications without a mess ensuing.

Bette, Boots and Bondage

As the below post intimates, I'm not a big fan of the modern 'celebity' culture... but I do like to look back, and appreciate the styles of stars gone by. They just have so much more class, talent and style...

A case in point, for me, at the moment is Bette Davis. These three pictures all exude a charisma and attitude which combined sum up, in part, this season's mindset. I'm going to be finding that long lost copy of 'Of Human Bondage' as soon as I've finished making a cup of tea!

Minus Jeans - Plus Harem...

I normally am quite apathetic about Lindsay Lohan, but browsing some old pics, it truck me that this studio photo, minus the jeans and plus the balenciaga harem pants I posted yesterday as an inspiration pic, would be so perfect... I love the details on the shirt and tbh even the jacket off the runway would look great... I really want to get hold of a pair of trousers like this - they're much more flattering than the jodphur look i think, though still taking leaves out of the same book.

Rethinking - for the new term...

Now, I know it's only mid-august, but I've been doing a lot of attitude shifting the past few weeks, and while I've been experimenting little with the clothes I put on my back day-to-day, in my head, I've been conjouring visions of the future... namely, visions of my sartorial self come October when I head back to the 'bridge...

So, I'm taking inspiration from this new vision of black, charcoal and leather clad amazon woman - burberry prorsum and anna sui especially, with a little bit of balenciaga and YSL thrown in...

I've grown up a lot this year at uni, and moving on from the emotional rollercoaster that were my final years at school, I've grown into my identity - but it is still evolving. And, I like to keep with the times. My weight has crept up admittedly, and I'm hoping that with the incentive of a new look and a new attitude to academic work and play time this term, I'll be able to work a bit of the dominant mood... not much more of the earth mother for me after this summer - at least for a while.

So - the major images of inspiration at the mo:


- Anna Sui



- both Balenciaga



- Burberry Prorsum

Once I've got the ball rolling with the fitness kick, and have had more fun playing around with fashion's new "mood" - I shall post some pics and thoughts, reflections, reactions etc...

JOYOUS!!!

Hope all's well!

still languishing...

in the land of camp-leader uniform... managed to fashion a cloak out of the same piece of blue velvet that was last seen out as a toga for the harry potter themed partay last night... apparently I was from Beauxbatons school, though the french accent didn't exactly keep up with the explanation... clothes still so boring and ill fitting they make me want to cry (though I have rediscovered a pair of diesel khaki dungarees that I've never worn due to their deep V split when worn up, but when worn down are just the right degree of practicality for working with these little demons...
to top it all off, today i smell... a hot london will do that to you. i'm off to roast in front of the tv now. (GOD I'm so darn BRITISH!!! teehee)
xxxc

a photo of my very very rushed improv outfit for abovementioned party...

Wardrobe Crisis

I really do seem to be partaking in summer activities which do not exactly lend themselves to sartorial excellence... First t'was digging up a roman fort (I'm the one in the red jumper... shameful!!!)



Now, I'm wandering around with a bunch of kids wearing too tight jeans (I hate putting on weight... grumble - ) and a huge blue staff teeshirt. Sky blue loafers are shoe of choice, the bag - a huge red and black rucksack, the coat - a black waterproof... Photos probably forthcoming... It's all knocking me for 6 and am even having trouble choosing evening outfits! Though did laugh the other day when dug out clingy leopard print dress I have never worn and own only because it is a useful costume item... t'was to dress up as a leopard for a fancy dress bbq at work, but still!!! teehee.

More news, ex-boyfriend took new model to our old pub in the little bubble of a school-town we live in... I'm currently working at said school to which he went / his dad taught at etc etc, and so many people I know frequent it... was a bit of a kick in the gut. at least he didn't take her to the work's dept club - that would have been a low blow - though to be honest, I don't think he'd dare... Have seen him a bit recently, which has reminded me exactly how glad I am to be out of that relationship, but also thankful that we're still friends, and good ones. It's just the newer, prettier, skinnier, more emotionally balanced girlfriend-model thing I have a problem with these days ;-D - insecurities rock, don't they... lol.

xxxc

I miss... Punting

The first of many "I miss..." posts.
Basically me being soppy about uni / home when I'm at the other...
First up, Punting...
Now I don't go very much, but the times I have been have been such fun, and part of this is also missing the course friends I go with...
Punting is very much a Cambridge 'thing'. Oxford do it too, but they punt from the front, which is just WRONG! teehee.
The best way to enjoy punting is to take plenty of alcohol of the g&t variety, cucumber sandwiches and eton mess (meringue, cream and strawberries...) - last time we went out, we also really scared a load of tourists by reading allowed from some of our study tomes (rather sexually explicit about african tribes sometimes...) in the name of revision!




xxxc

Away Again... and party follow up.

Dress went down a storm... woo!
Had another evening of love life drama - current boy's good friend, who is supposed to be 'bi with a heavy leaning towards men', decided to tell me he had feelings for me(!!!) right before he was going out to get drunk with the birthday boy, "reverend" who was depressed because the same guy had turned him down... and right before i was due to head to bed-sharing with my lovely. A BIG dampener on everything really.
Ah well, maybe it'll calm down soon. Not much can happen when one is off in the wilds of northern england with little but the sheep and board games to entertain ;) Two weeks, no internet, barely any phone reception...
Why do I do archaeology again?
I'm off to dig up a roman fort in very fetching previous dig tee-shirts and - muddy after the first five minutes - shorts... any pretensions to style will be banished by my trowel wielding! Joyous!
Much love, back soon!
xxxc

I am a bad bad person

a hypocrite one might say... after damning topshop in an old post, i bought a dress there today...
it was a 5 to 6pm jobbie, rushing around debenhams, having just remembered i needed something to wear for a party tomoro. my current favourite party dress has done the rounds too much of late, and i needed something fresh to put my mind in a new spin... and dashing past the topshop concession, my eyes alighted on what can only be described as an alien-cowgirl dress...

i love it... and as a size 12, it's loose, which makes me happy... in a small small shallow way...
so yes, that is one more topshop item i've got in my wardrobe. considering i managed a discount, and it's cute and fluffy enough to fit in with tomoro's thespy musical theatre crowd (they did oklahoma in lent... i'll fit right in ;D). To be honestly honest, I also needed a dress - and a new one at that to make me feel armoured against all the complications in my love life atm - at least 80% of whom are going to be at the party... doh!
T'will be worn with my metallic green shoes and one of many jaeger blazers with bright red lips and a sunny smile...
Bring on the Topshop wearing... I am ready to join the parade... Love it!
xxxc

Being an avid reader of other people's blogs, I do occassionally pick up ideas and inspiration. This is my first inspired post... Susie Bubble has her lovies, and last time she asked for submissions I completely forgot to send mine in, so I'm going to make it a running thing on my own blog... lovies of mine posts.

here be the first installment:

1) my porcelain pendant - bought over a year ago on ebay, came with a chain with a faulty latch so wearing it on my favourite twist rope chain...



2) my Ashish sequinned rugby shirt - I don't wear this enough, but I do adore it. Bought as with mother last year, it reminds me of good times and makes me smile whenever my hand brushes over its scratchy surface in my wardrobe.



3) my GAP baggy dress - this gorgeous thing is light and airy cotton - easily creased I must admit, and ludicrously expensive for what it is, but I couldn't do without it. The pic is just a detail of the gorgeous chest panel, but it also has a baggy but structured bottom bit - flaring out from the bottom of the buttoned up bit, pleated and lightly falling, disguising my fat bits ;-D - bought in a 12 for my humungous breasts... normally worn with white open toed, bow-ed flats and a charcoal grey vintage jaeger jacket. The hem flies up in the wind. It makes me feel like a big kid. It was bought on the day I finished exams and has been worn on one of my days in the park with lovely boy. Great memories.



more to come soon!

xxxc

RIP

Rest In Peace, cardigan of gorgeousness... you were only with me a short time, but I truly loved you. Many thanks for the tonne of times you saved an outfit. I praise whatever clothes God there is that you were left in the ADC unclaimed laundry last term for us costume wenches to pick over...



I hate losing lovies.

xxxc

End of Term...

The End of Term was hugely sad. I have had some ups and downs this year, but such fun in many parts. One of the definite ups was the last two weeks. After exams, we had a period of pure joyful celebration culminating in May Balls at each of the colleges. I was lucky enough to go to two, with my own college's being one of the big ones. I managed to find an absolute knockout of a dress too...


it was bought at 'fairy gothmother' in camden...

7 East Yard
Camden Lock
London NW1 8AL
Tel: +44 (0)20 7485 0365
Fax: +44 (0)20 7428 7513
Website: http://www.fairygothmother.com/index.htm

thinking it's a definite first stop for next year... here are some of my favourites of the rest





they are so lovely in the shop too... t'was really rather amusing as I'm far from a goth and turned up in my lolita-esque GAP dress looking like a right twit, swishing my posh girl hair, and asked the big guy with a mohawk and make-up about finding a dress! he passed me on to a (really rather cute) other guy who I had a lot of banter with as he laced me into the beauty I ended up with... NEVER BEEN HAPPIER in a dress.

my shoes, as usual, were bought from kate kuba... cute little burnished gold things. leather with cut out flowers and bows on the front. bag was a 50p find in Cambridge Scope, the sweet cardie from Miss Selfridge, a panic buy on the day when my beautiful crocheted one I'd been planning to wear went missing... managed to get 15% off due to one of the button loops being broken on top of my student discount... woo! all in all, was very very happy.

sigh. bring on May Ball 08!

xxxc

excitement at my first little comment! thank you! someone's read my ramblings, and this makes me warm and fuzzy feeling...
so, at the mo, life is fine and dandy, though am being a little disorganised... I go away on the weekend for a few weeks, and am also away on thursday so time is running short to get A LOT of things done. Seeing friends is fun, but I worry I won't be able to fit everything in...
Still hugely confused on the boy front, but in quite a good way. Not too worried. Realised completely over ex, which has made the summer a lot easier - cruising without constantly feeling insecure about where his head's at in comparison to mine... woo!
Clothes-wise, not been too prolific a shopper of late - though did have a mega day about a week ago... bought the most magnificent vintage dress that has since turned into quite a lucky charm... if anyone's interested (and in london) it was bought in Sam Greenberg in Kingly Court off Carnaby Street... a treasure trove!

I'm Back!

Ok, so the fact that noone's reading yet means my absence for exams has been not particularly missed, but here I am again, ready to make mundane comments about clothing, men and general crafty things...
Well, I managed a 2.1 after all my moaning, so I feel fully deserved in reverting back to my clothes obsessed old self. The love life is a little strange being that I'm being chased by one guy I have no interes tin but as a friend who really does Not need rejection now, and on the other hand, I'm trying to figure out where I stand with a lovely but very wierd boy who I'm not going to see enough over the summer to determine how things are going. It's all a bit up in arms...
However, I have no intention of letting any of this spoil my summer. There be lots of fun and games to look forward to, much of which I will probably document on here! woo!
xxx

exams are horrible

it's true. i'm trying to keep sartorial quality high but it's difficult. i just want to curl up in a hoody and pjs to be honest.
but no.
whatever power is up there won't let me.
i have to be at the uni library every day. so people.
and there's the ex factor. shall we just say he's ummmmm, a lot to live up to.
and there's the new prospect.
therefore i need to actually think what i'm going to wear in the morning.
depressing much.
especially when its rainy constantly.
sigh.
a week today...
and by the time i start, most peoople are finished... not good.

outfit #4... floaty, summery and comfy

Just got back from london, and was feeling too constrained in my tight around the waist skirt, high neck tee and green v-neck knit... so i changed - mainly so i'd be comfy during my 5 hour shift on box office this afternoon and evening...



so - pale pink gap gathered neckline tank, uttam (bought in oxford covered market) skirt, m&s green metallic ballet pumps and cardie 'borrowed' (with permission lol) from the adc clean but unclaimed laundry pile hehe

i love the cardie - it's kinda granny-ish but in a cute way - with two pearl buttons at the top which don't fasten onto everything - blatantly a product of being used as costume at some point...

i might add a pair of warm socks to my bag to keep my feet warm... and a stash pullover... concessions to comfort over style neccessary when a student :-D

culture shock

walking through king's cross station on my way home from cambridge, it never fails to strike me that every other woman i pass has bags of style... it's not that i think that people in other places have none - i just think it's really concentrated in london... every woman has the concept of importance of a style identity impressed on them every day, just by walking through the city... it never fails to amaze me.

outfit post #3 - gosh, i feel this is going to be a daily thing ;-D

okay, so today i was being quite restrained... for starters - i'm in jeans! very very rare these days... but i am trying to get down to revision and my back hurts so any sense of my usual flightiness and care-free demeanour is kind of banished...

so...



i'm wearing three new t-shirts layered- a dark blue thin cotton v-neck cap sleeve top from gap, a denim blue rib vest from m&s and a grey lace short vest also from m&s... then a cardigan from men's gap, levi jeans and primark silver ballet pumps...

low maintenance low maintenance low maintence... and you know what, i got given the eye by a rather cute guy in this, so maybe i'll do a few similar low maintenance outfits in the weeks ahead - a girl's got to dress to please guys SOMETIMES ya know ;-D - and okay, so it's more low cut than i usually do... no idea why, but my wardrobe seems rather geared Away from revealing my 34E breasts to the world. i guess after so long in a relationship iv forgotten what attracts attention in the first place hehe ;-D

really though, it felt quite nice not to be done to the neck in an asexual tank or all frilly and girly in a flowery but demure dress... hmmmmmmm - food for thought

knitting book goodness...

on a slightly related note to my previous post, while in the charity shop, i also bought two books - one on knitting toys (my first planned projects shall be a brownie doll for my mate's birthday - she's a brownie guider - and a scarecrow and cowboy for the kids of a friend...) and another - quite old - one called 'scandinavian knitwear'. the latter has really very complicated patterns i doubt i'll be able to do for a while... but they're SO GORGEOUS!!!

Take a look at the projects i hope i'll one day be proficient enough to complete... And the toys i'm going to start as soon as i have the yarn!










Again, sorry for the quality of the photos - crap camera and unsteady hand...

outfit post #2

okay, so i had to move rooms in college today, and about half way through the rather hot and sweaty and exhausting activity, i felt an urge to run out to the charity shop nearest to where i live... on getting there, there was a dress hanging on the rail right by the door that was just in, hadn't even been priced yet...

cute as hell laura ashley dress i'm guessing from the mid 90s... the fabric to which the strap buttons were sewn had been ripped, though i quickly repaired the minimal damage... and the straps are ever so slightly too long but otherwise it's perfect.

so here's the outfit i made with it after i had showered to get rid of the remnants of muggy morning and dusty moving-ness... ick!




sorry about the crapness of the photos... i think my camera is on its last legs!

so, am wearing - vintage laura ashley dress (£5.50 - woo!), gerard weber jacket (traid charity shop find - £3!!!), m&s green jumper, m&s green metallic shoes, teal top shop tights... love it. (apart from the flabbiness of pic numero two, but never mind lol).

i will try and post a pic of the dress including the top when i've shortened the straps... i might also see how it looks cut shorter, maybe with petticoats... but not sure yet...

i love this outfit!

outfit post... #1 of many!!!

okay, here goes... my first outfit post.

this was just to sit around revising - thus the crumpled skirt ;-D i love the vibrant colour of the top and the shape of the skirt (which you can't really see in this pic as the top is too long, but it's pleated and poufy at the top)... the bow belt is actually off the skirt which has loops for it, but cos the top is long and baggy it worked to tame that rather than create a lump beneath...



so... the yellow top and the silver ballet pumps are from primark, the skirt (and its belt) are from french connection, the tights are topshop, and the pendant (just seen behind the camera) is a long ago birthday gift from my parents (the one in the crafting #1 post picture on my desk...) - when i went out to walk off the revision blues, i wore a big grey grannie cardie and took my pink patent primark bag... both will undoubtedly show up in posts soon ;-D

looking at the pic, this outfit makes me smile. yellow is so the colour for right now - easter and all that - and while the grey skirt sobers it a little, the bow and the tights and the silver pumps just make me look rather eccentric. not sure if teal rather than purple tights would've worked better, but we shall see another time!

my silver pumps are having rather a moment in my wardrobe - i wear them with everything... you may notice that any time i wear flats on this blog, they'll be primark, because though i am an advocate of spending huge sums on heels which can bloody well hurt if they aren't well made, and can , in fact, be dangerous if so, flats are all bought on the cheap... and primark happens to do them very cheaply and in styles i love! i almost bought another pair in gold and another in mint green but had to restrain myself... kind of regret that... oh well! these are SO useful! and they don't hurt too much (not in a rubbing kind of way, but in a shin splints way... i'm medically not supposed to wear flats to walk in - extremely short achilles tendon - legs go numb after too much walking in flats... oops!)

hope you like! not particularly interesting, but i think fairly representative of 'smart me' style...

sob!

i didn't win the dress i posted about yesterday... sob!

shows me for being lazy and not getting up til midday ;-D

Sacrelige

I own minimal Topshop... I am a fashion pariah...

A London girl who really doesn't like Topshop is a phenomenon one has to go far to find - but here I am. I rarely pop in to my local branch, never go in them while on holiday, and never stop by the HUGE store when I'm on Oxford Street.

Why?

Well...

i) I'm the wrong body type - i have boobs, and an arse, and a relatively skinny middle. They just aren't cut right for me.
ii) i can spot a Totally Topshop (TT) outfit from a mile-away, and steer clear.
iii) for the quality, it's WAY too expensive... the materials are cheap and the cuts and colours are too. sorry, but its usually true

Its not that I have anything against it, it just doesn't work for me. i own a couple of pieces - a puffy denim skirt that i've had for several years and is falling apart but is one of the 'cogs' of my style... (in the pic, paired with urban outfitters cardie, custo barcelona top, primark shoes and street seller footless tights)

then there are the tights... the one thing that I go in topshop for... their coloured tights are a work of genius... the colour is deep, the material comfy, light, breathable, and the price is right... shame they don't do more colours. I currently have purple and teal.
Working on getting the neon orange and green ones, and am constantly on the look out on ebay for the fuschia pink ones from a while back... anyone knows where i can find such items - let me know ;-D

otherwise, i have no topshop. sometimes i wonder if i'm too harsh on it. then i visit and my faith in my faith is restored. it's not for me... even when i find a piece i like (twice in the past year... one silver above the knee skirt, one blue and white patterned hippyish silk dress, one pair of ballooning out suit-fabric,oddly cut waistbanded trousers recently seen on MK Olsen below) - i cannot justify shelling out (£35, £40 and £45 respectively) when on further examination, as much as they strike me the first time, the quality just ruins the thing on closer examination...



if i was around for the kate moss at topshop launch, i might stop by. the dresses look cute, if expensive.




but i doubt i'd buy. the collaborations are just starting to annoy me know and rarely, it seems, live up to expectations... doh!

ah well. maybe one day.

ooooooooh! shoes!

browsing iqons, in a random moment of luck, i stumbled upon these divine shoes!



now they may not go with everything, but the sheer pizazz they would add to an outfit is worth the £39 this independent designer is asking for...

I adore the way the bows are almost like scrunchies, and i really do think they'd be a welcome addition to any woman's wardrobe. the heel height is reasonable too methinks...



if anyone loves the humour and cuteness of these shoes as much as i do - the website is shoe missy... there are several other gems here too - if i was more of a fan of kitten heels, i'd buy myself a pair of the roman holiday flats - alas ;-D - and the dita shoes are rather sexy if slightly more expensive...

have fun!!!

yay or nay on this style?

you may tell from this blog that i love my tv... or at least a few programmes i watch religiously... dr who, csi, csi miami, grey's anatomy.

watching csi miami tonight, i found myself wierdly attracted to this rather flamboyant outfit. it's american preppy smart i guess, and i love it! normally not a fan of pastel colours, but the baby blue, cream and the dark tie really look great! the pic isn't that great, but was the only one i could find on the net...



i think it's the actor's colouring - but the details of this outfit really hit hard. the dark button, the cream pattern on the dark silk... yummy!

a scarf like this is currently on my wishlist!

what do you think?

Why a Monaco's Royals better dressed than anyone elses?!?!?!

Okay, so first they had Grace Kelly, now they have Charlotte Casiraghi...
I'm not a big celeb / royal watcher - but on style.com this week, they had a feature, and I just had to comment.
This girl has been born into vast amounts of money and privelige, and therefore has no excuse not to be stylish and beautiful... but I still can't help my jaw drop in awe at her presence and beautiful (-y put together) wardrobe.



She even carries off my favourite make-up 'thing' - red lips - and a skin-tight red dress with panache... Go her! These may not seem the kind of statement fit for a royal, but this girl is unafraid to take risks, and be imaginitive while still remaining proper and a bit of an ice queen ;-D





and to make it even better, she doesn't look as if she starves herself! and still can pull of chanel couture and body-con stuff (okay, so she's no way above a 10, and is probably an 8, but at least she doesn't look anorexic!!!)

I shall watch, and learn... She isn't too 'put-together' - and for that I salute her. I'll certainly be taking notice of any mention of her in future!

ideal man style?

okay, so i've just finished watching dr who... and while on my way back from the jcr, i had a thought - what kind of style does my ideal man have?

i don't really pay much attention to the menswear catwalks, preferring to pick up basics in menswear sales for myself (gap, urban outfitters and m&s are goldmines!!!), and not being too discerning when becoming attracted to a guy. my ex was a die hard, all black, baggy jeans wearing, metal-head... i got him into one bright orange polo shirt, and otherwise just got really frustrated with his conformity to the standard rebellious teen who likes rock and metal 'look'...

i guess so far i haven't really been exposed to guys with a sense of style in the same way many women do. it just doesn't really cross my mind, in the same way as kind eyes, strong arms, and a rather skinny build Do.

and this is now becoming a point of note in my strange brain. my latest 'date' - a.k.a. 'CbC' (cute but clueless...) - he's lovely, taking it (extreeeemely) slow, cute, and is just as stylistically clueless as my ex.

i know, for most guys, wearing the same t-shirt several days IN A ROW is not a big deal, with the same jeans, shoes, jumper etc, but i dont understand WHY?!?! CbC wears plain polos, stash (theatre production / rowing / choir / band) tops and fleeces - but there's nothing INTERESTING! and therefore, to me - nothing particularly attractive in a sartorial sense.

now i'm not dating him for his sense (or lack) of style, but i do wonder why my brain skips over the sartorial niceties when choosing who to be attracted to. i don't want to change him, but i do wonder if i can change myself. i know it's shallow, but i at least want a guy who doesn't see clothing and attitude towards style as frivolous and something to be put to one side. it's important to me; to who i am, and, though minor in the schemeof reasons, it was probably a tiny niggling thing that contributed to the whole picture of me and my ex's break-up (tiny, tiny, tiny - but reflective of our incompatibility as a couple...)

another ex of mine, is a relative cosmopolitan. this one dresses well - sleekly - in smart, mainly black, charcoal etc - as he needs to to maintain his 'image' in the world he chose to live in (he's a film producer). he gets facials (his skin is softer than mine, and kissing him was like kissing a girl his mouth was so soft... slightly creepy...) and cares about what labels are in his clothes / how shiny his shoes are / what influences he is channelling.

but that kind of self-conscious, media - world vanity in a man, i find unnattractive. so where is my happy medium?

in dr who, that's where ;-D



in all honesty, i love the unself-conscious, but damn cute brown with blue pinstripe suit, the converse, coloured shirts, unobtrusive but interesting ties, the big coats... all of it screams a guy who knows who he is, and has a style identity he is comfortable with. he doesn't have to try too hard, but just IS. i know it's silly, but 'the doctor' is HUGELY intelligent too, gorgeous etc etc... why can't i find a guy like this! (okay, without the alien bit hehe)

it's the smart-but comfy, slightly public school, but with an edge, a sense of humour, that i know i find attractive, but just can't seem to find... so i settle. as its not REALLY that important how a guy dresses... right?

in all honesty, the best dressed guys I know are not all gay. some are.

my friend 'M' manages to carry of some out there stuff, mainly because he is S-K-I-N-N-Y... as in, Seriously so... and he knows how to dress for his frame. being gay means he has more freedom i guess, to wear things like v neck tees, stripy jeans, skinny scarves...

but my male style icon, is my best friend, 'Dodo', we shall call him. totally straight, skinny, but built, blonde and slightly awkward. he grew up with academic parents at oxford and has a lot of female influences in his life, after his dad passed away. he knows how to sew, and find a bargain. and while he is a bit of a spend-thrift, buys interesting, good quality stuff, that really suits him and his personality. this boy wears no jeans, instead - cords, and suit-type trousers with shirts and jumpers. he uses colour, and wears everything with confidence. he has a lot of formal wear, but even in that, always looks slightly dishevelled. he wears vintage military coats, denim bomber jackets and silk scarves... not too dandyish, no trace of emo, and not particularly preppy... just him. if there was any sex-spark between us, he'd be the perfect boyfriend hehe. i love his style, cos its so distinctly Him.





thats what i think is missing from so many guys my age (and older). and thats what i think i need to find in a boyfriend - on top of the sensitivity, strong arms, GSOH, tall stature etc etc. because to find a guy with confidence in a style that suits not only him, but me, is to find a guy who works on my wavelength...

here endeth the lesson ;-D