The shape of things to come

You’d have to be a hibernating bear (and indeed have been hibernating for quite some time) to be completely unaware of the current worldwide financial crisis. A consequence of this meltdown is that the style sections of newspapers and magazines are now devoted to churning out features on investment dressing. Hem lines! WHAT. DO. THEY. MEAN? Some say they rise, and some are adamant that they fall with the stock market.

Ddjhfjkhudsuuuuuut6y7ue eeeebdhjsssPU)cl;xz zzzzzzzzzz’. Oh, sorry! Seem to have dozed off there. Trying to keep track of what length my skirt should be and the cost per wear of any investment pieces I am thinking of purchasing has left me simply exhausted.

But, there is more to say on this subject then what’s currently being recycled in the media, which is “customers should look for investment pieces and value for money”. Well. Yes.

Jess Cartner-Morley, fashion editor at the Guardian explores this well excavated subject a little further in this article, lean times and hemlines. It’s a feature about how fashion will be affected by the credit crunch, in the aesthetic sense rather than a business one. She reflects upon the trends that emerged from the boom and bust times in recent history with a view of defining this economic crisis’ appearance. She draws no firm conclusions but she does highlight a couple of interesting theories including this one from Valerie Steele, internationally renowned Fashion Historian:

The hemlines theory was invented back in the 1920s. But it just doesn’t hold up. Take the 20s – hemlines actually began to fall in 1927, two years before the crash. They were falling by 1969, two years before the downturn of 1971

Contrary to popular belief it would seem that the ‘look’ of the great depression was actually a result of what was fashionable the two years prior to it.

Jess then goes on to quote Jo Hooper, Head of Womenswear at John Lewis. Hooper implies that the softer, sculpted, voluminous silhouette that is becoming popular will be the defining look of the recession. She identifies the current vogue for the round-shouldered look as:

cocooning, which is the feeling of wrapping up, of hunkering down. It’s a basic human instinct.

Both of these theories are very feasible. However never one to rest on my laurels, I decided to do some research of my own. Mystic Meg wouldn’t return my calls, so I settled for the next best thing: Mark Watson, the Womenswear Editor at trend forecasting agency WGSN. I asked him for his thoughts on what he felt the look of the credit crunch would be. This is the PG version of his email response:

The most obvious effect of ‘The credit crunch’ as we saw during Paris Fashion week is that most designers will march to their own tune, sticking to what they know best and satisfying customers who are loyal to their labels rather than putting their heads on the chopping block of fashion whimsies. What may be of interest is that prior to this financial crisis designers were focusing on the shoulder and the power dressing 80s particularly taking silhouettes from Thierry Mugler and Claude Montana. In times of a strong financial system there is a the ‘power’ look whilst we at WGSN are currently moving towards a more fantastical, ethereal feeling soft layers, a looser silhouette looking at Bill Gibb also Nina Ricci collection in Paris.

Reading these three very different responses from credible industry experts; it is obvious that defining what the aesthetic of the credit-crunch will be is no easy feat. Not least because there are no parallels to be drawn between ‘fashions’ from one recession to the next. Each financial crisis has been brought about by different economic factors, which therefore in turn mean consumer habits, circumstances and attitudes are unique to that period of time.

Nevertheless history will record that this recession had a ‘style’ just as it has done for the 1930s and 1970s, regardless of whether it was actually the result of the downturn.

So, lets try and put this subject to bed once and for all! Vote! VOTE! VOTE LIKE YOU ARE SHAPING TOMORROW! Because you are.

Edith

All images are SS09 from Style.com. In order of appearance: Balmain, Balenciaga, Nina Ricci

The Spanish harem

Whilst frequenting the towns and beaches of the Andalusia, I noticed that the tourists there seemed to have developed a particular fondness for harem pants. They were everywhere. Wandering on the steep precipices of Ronda, lay idle on the beach at Sanlucar, loitering by orange trees in Seville, drinking amber coloured wine and gorging on free tapas in Granada, watching a shoot out in the wild west in the Almeria desert (yes really) and finally meandering between brightly coloured parasols in Nerja.

Before you cast aspersions and accuse me of wearing harem pants in all of these places, I must firstly assure you that t’was not I, then *waggle* my finger disapprovingly at you.

I first registered this foreign fad after seeing a spate of the said garment in Ronda. It seemed like a good idea (for professional research purposes of course) to keep track of how many I encountered on my journey. During a particularly lovely glass of vino rosado in the Albaicin region of Granada (all work and no play makes Edith a very dull fashionista indeed) I lost count somewhere after 20.

This of course got me musing somewhat incoherently. Few items of clothes are able to divide public opinion so venemently as the harem pant. So why has the harem pant become a hit with holidaymakers? NY, London, Milan and Paris are arguably the fashion capitals of the world and far more trend forward. And yet very few people are seriously seen rocking them on their streets. This, despite the major design houses pushing the look down the runways season after season, a flurry of bloggers discussing their merits month after month and fashion students promoting them in their graduate collections year on year. Thus far the slouchy, dropped crotch trouser that is the harem pant has eluded us, remaining inconspicuous in the street style stakes and failing to be adopted in any mainstream way.

It is obvious to most sane people (please note, I myself to not claim to be sane) why this is. As an item of clothing the harem pant is not flattering. Not in the slightest (mind you, that doesn’t always matter – the skinny jean movement it proof of that). At best you look stumpy and possibly flabby, and at worst like a dwarf with elephantiasis. The harem pant isn’t all-bad though. After all, they are definitely the prolapse friendly trouser. If your intestine happens to fall out of your arse you are definitely going to want to own a pair of these bad boys (along with a inflatable rubber ring).

However, I don’t believe that all of the holidaymakers I saw in Spain have had the displeasure of a vital organ slipping out of place. So by golly there must be another reason for this unfathomable craze!

Another 2 glasses of vino rosad0 later , I realised there is… And it’s simple! The joy of a vacation is that it’s a break from your everyday life. You don’t have to go to work, clean your house or eat your 5 a day. And that dear Watson is the crucial element to the harem pants winning formula. You see, very few people could wear this style of trouser to work and not feel self-conscious or worse, inappropriately dressed. But once abroad the harem trouser fulfills almost every holiday specification you could ever have. They are a stark contradiction to the normal working wardrobe, they are light and comfortable, and finally they couldn’t possibly make you look any worse if they crease in transit. DO. YOU. SEE. THE. PURE. SWEET. FRICKIN. GENIUS. OF. THEM. NOW?

This frankly startling realisation combined with the wise words of Queen Michelle from Kingdom of Style about the harem pant has me convinced that they truely are fashion greatness personified!

“whenever I see ladies rocking these ‘difficult’ trousers I am simply filled with awe and admiration at their balls for laughing in the face of conventional ideas of ‘sexy’ and doing their own thing.”

I’m now absolutely convinced that I need a pair! These ones from Topshop fit the bill perfectly; they’re a bargainous £22. Obviously I won’t be wearing them to pound the streets of London just yet, I’ll save their first outing until my next trip abroad. But until then I am strangely comforted by the knowledge that should I manage to accidentally dislodge an organ from inside my body in the mean time, I’ll be suitably attired to deal with the situation. Edgy with medical benefits? No wonder harem pants are all the rage.

Edith

The allure of the peep-toe boot

One of ‘fashion’s’ greatest strengths is its ability to make us covet things that sometimes at best can only be described as ridiculous. For example, I stumbled across these ‘vintage 80s neon leotard bandage onesie shorts’ (the sellers words – not mine) on ebay, which are evil for so many reasons. And yet I find that I desire them. I long to touch the stretchiness of this obscure playsuit. It’s absurd. But I feel myself drawn to them like a moth to a flame. Excited yet scared by the styling quandary they create. I can remember feeling like this 15 years ago. I was 11 and it was school sports day. I kept thinking that I needed to wee. It was actually nerves and adrenalin rather than a weak bladder. If I win… how will I work a gold badge / Lycra jumpsuit seamlessly into my existing wardrobe?

I feel the same way about the peep-toe boot as I do about the stretch clown suit from ebay. I first noticed peep-toe boots when they began to emerge on the catwalks last winter, I was temporarily distracted by a rather fetching boyfriend blazer though so didn’t have time to give them any serious thought. However, I’ve since refocused my mind because they’re starting to surface in stores and have been the topic of many a conversation at work. I have to admit, I want a pair so bad that I am considering going into Browns and licking this Marni pair in the vain hope that the sales assistant will take pity on the mad lady and and just comp me a pair.

Highly unlikely, I think you’ll agree (not the licking obviously, the getting a pair for free). So, as I can’t afford to buy so much as a button right now (I bid big on the neon onesie) I’m going to use this post as a form of therapy to help me through my shoe grief. It is after all a very wise action indeed for me not to purchase these divine Tory Burch boots from Net-a-Porter.
First and foremost, lets discuss practicality (blasphemous in fashion I know). Boots with holes in! Ha! HAHAHAHAHAHA! That’s just asking for trouble given that the worlds population of 2 billion cows have decided to avenge us for eating them the only way they know how, by farting. They release so much methane that they have assured the destruction of the planet by accelerating global warming (it’s definitely the cows fault, not ours). This has caused us to be plagued by rain even in August, never mind in the traditional boot wearing season! Feet that have prolonged exposure to cold, damp conditions get trench foot! I know! I’m willing to risk developing a hump back by dragging my enormous and over filled handbag around town; but a stinky fungal infection is quite a different kettle of fish. My vintage clothes hum-ding bad enough as it is, I really don’t want to add another layer of smell to the situation. Oh, and don’t even get me started on the aesthetics of these boots. The proportions are, well, plain strange. Clumpy and cumbersome.

Lastly, there is a strong chance that the peep-toe boot will be a flash in the fashion pan (like those pixie flats that turned up at the toe – remember those?). Next year everyone will snigger at them and be like “soooooooo 2008″. Hmmm? Actually, thinking about it, maybe they will smile and be like “sooooooo 2008” in a good way? Because they are iconic. You know? Instantly recognisable for their sheer brilliance, like the Balenciga floral meets American football collection. And the proportions do sorta work really, dontcha think? A bit like a screwball icecream, odd yet delightful with a weird surprise at the end.

Oh, who am I kidding? I love them. I neeeeed them! I’m not ashamed! MY NAME IS EDITH PURDY AND I LOVE PEEP-TOE BOOTS! Godammit, they look good and I can wear them with my vintage 80s neon leotard bandage onesie shorts so they are practical after all! ARE. YOU. WITH. ME?!

*tumbleweed*

OK, fine. I can live with that. The cheese stands alone. Just promise me that when I’m still wearing them next year and you say “they are soooooo 2008″, that you’ll say it with a smile and pretend not to notice the smell.

Edith

Return of the crop, once again

Ants always fall over on their right side when intoxicated. Fact. Madonna has no loo roll holder in her bathroom in London. She just stacks her toilet tissue on the floor. FACT. The crop top is back. FACT.

I’ll start this session by responding to each of your rebuttals in order.

Yes, they really do always fall on their right side. Google says so – it must be true! And, I agree. Someone as rich as Madge really should have a toilet roll holder. If I had her money I would hire a small dancing monkey to hold my bog roll. I would call this monkey Geoff. Geoff would do a little dance every time I went into the bathroom. Finally, the crop top is back. With vengeance. Actually, not with vengeance. I just like the way that sounds.

You are right to be scared by this last fact by the way. There aren’t many things scarier in this world than crop tops. Except maybe clowns. Clowns wearing crop tops.

The reason the crop top is able to induce such panic in us boils down to our perceptions of body image. A nasty side effect of this particular garment is that it emphasises our tummies. Very few people have a stomach that they are proud of. And even fewer of them have a belly that the rest of us would be happy to see habitually. It must be a very bad thing indeed that the crop top is having a resurgence. Right?

Wrong! And I shall tell you for why!

The crop top actually encourages us all to cover up our muffin tops!

How so? That is an excellent question, dear reader. I’m so glad you asked.

The average human being has no problem with wearing jeans that are slightly too tight. They don’t tend to worry about a t-shirt that is just a bit too small. This results in many millions of people involuntarily yet frequently exposing their tummy region as they go about their day-to-day business.

I am one of these ‘humans’. I wear jeans that create a small, soft (soft sounds better than flabby) overhang (overhang sounds marginally better than spare-tyre). My t-shirts are shit (shit sounds better than cheap) and ride up. This means that at random times during the day my belly just pops out. *POP* Much like a 5 year old child. Although I cringe and acknowledge that this must be very grim for my colleagues, it doesn’t prompt me to buy new clothes in order to prevent this happening. For one, I am delusional enough to think that I will lose those few pounds (by doing no form of exercise) that cause this to occur.

And this is where the crop top really comes into it’s own. While I can convince myself that no-one notices me constantly yanking my t-shirt down over my gut and that this behaviour is acceptable, I could never, ever, ever make my peace with having my ‘soft’ stomach on constant parade in the way it would be if I wore a crop top.

But I do intend to rock the crop top look. Oh yessum indeedio!

If the noughties taught us anything about fashion, it’s that layering is ‘key’. And to make the crop top work, layer it we must! Kingdom of Style has some quirky ideas on how to do this (see the image above) that are definitely worth test-driving. If however you are looking for something a little less controversial (and with less potential for a wardrobe malfunction) then you have a couple of options. A cropped, fitted top looks contemporary over a long t-shirt and a skirt that is slightly longer in length at the hem. Wear with ‘fierce‘ shoes. Team a loose, cropped piece of fine knitwear with a shirt, some high-waisted wide leg trousers and bold jewellery for a sophisticated Marni-esque look. And, if all else fails just throw one on with your skinny jeans and whatever clean top you have to hand. Just make sure it’s long enough to cover your belly.

Edith

Sarah Jessica Parker! Do as I say, not as I do!

Being a female A-Lister is hard. Much harder than if you were male. We the public (with the help of the media) speculate, judge and criticise celebrities like Nicole Kidman, Meg Ryan, and Victoria Beckham for going under the knife. Allegedly, they are contributing factors to the unattainable ideal of modern beauty.

And yet in spite of this, when a famous woman bucks against this trend and ages as mother nature intended it, she is subject to the most venomous abuse.

Hadley Freeman brought this to my attention in yesterday’s Guardian where she wrote:

‘In yesterday’s Daily Telegraph, a film critic decreed that Parker “looks like a skeletal transvestite”. Maxim in the US recently named her “the unsexiest woman in the world”, while Piers Morgan, that great arbiter of beauty, called her “ghastly … I’ve seen better looking winos underneath the arches at Charing Cross”.’

Sarah Jessica Parker aka Carrie Bradshaw is 43. And yes, she probably looks her age. But what is wrong with that? George Clooney is 47 and he also looks his age, but he is not villainized for it. In fact it’s CELEBRATED, people commonly acknowledge that ‘he just keep getting better’.

And I can’t help but wonder, why the double standard?

I don’t have the answer, but I would like you to chew on this thought. Cast your mind back to school. Then, not bowing to peer pressure was considered a good thing, it demonstrated strength of character. Saying ‘NO’ to smoking, drinking, drugs, sex was the right thing to do. Flash-forward to the present and its equivalent peer pressure: looking slim, youthful and pert. Sarah Jessica Parker has dared to be that individual at school who says ‘NO’. She has ignored this ridiculous ‘eternal youth’ demand that society has created for women. And what do we do? Do we congratulate her on her bravery? Admire her confidence and praise the example she has set? No. In true schoolyard style, we attack her for it like a pack of adolescent bullies. And quite frankly, it makes me sick.

Edith

The North-South divide

A little spuggy, originally from the North-East of England, I migrated south to London (via Gloucestershire) seven years a go. Being a Northerner living amongst Southerners, I often think about this great ‘divide‘ that I hear people talk about and wonder what it actually translates to. Most of the time I come to one of two conclusions: 1. Who cares? And 2. Why do people think I am Irish?

However, having returned yesterday from a week up North, I have some observations and theories on this topic fresh in my mind (fashion observations mind you, no deep and meaningful comparisons about health, house prices or earnings to be found here!). So, without further a do, here they are:

1. Northern people wear far fewer clothes. No shit Sherlock, I hear you say! It is perhaps an obvious statement, but why unlike their Southern counterparts, has the trend of layering never caught on in these parts? It is ironic as it is FAR colder and therefore the opposite would be expected to be true. However, historically, the North of England was poorer than the south, which means we can assume that fewer clothes were purchased in the region during the good old days. Now, this is no longer the case in the bad new days, but was the precedent for dress code set? When the means to buy more clothes came, people didn’t wear them together for warmth. They continued as those before them had, hardened to the adverse weather conditions, and just had more wardrobe choice. You can see evidence of this every Friday and Saturday night, when hundreds of thousands of men, woman, lads and lasses descend on the pubs and clubs, all of them without jackets. I remember shortly after turning 18 I went to Club Millennium in the Borough wearing just gold bikini bottoms, a gold backless top and gold stilettos (I’m spinning around had just been released if you need an explanation). Now on this occasion I will concede that I did take a small burgundy coloured leather jacket reminiscent of this one Posh and Becks wore, but only on the insistence of my Mam who was concerned about the effect the pouring rain would have on my outfit. My point is, it was usual for me (and still is for everyone else) to go out into winter blizzards wearing just a very mini-skirt, a small top, strappy sandals and no tights or no coat (I’m dry-retching at the bone-chilling thought of it now). There is no doubt in my mind, that should I not have left home for pastures new, the thought of wearing any form of outerwear for a night out would never have occurred to me. Turning blue in the taxi/bus queue is just what one does in the North. On relocating to the South, I discovered the wonder of the ‘cloakroom’ (you don’t tend to find them up North) and I have never since ventured out unsuitably attired for the season, although I still consider it when back home, but these days I am too much of a “Southern softie” much to the amusement of my parents.
2. Northern people wear sports kits as fashion (TOON ARMY, TOON ARMY!). That just doesn’t happen down South; the men veer towards to a long sleeved shirt and the women to Reiss instead. What can we attribute this difference to? Well, as we are all frequently reminded, the North is renown for being friendly and more community orientated. This trusting mindset is probably how the football kit became popularised as everyday wear (and even smart evening wear in some cases). It shows which ‘community’ you align yourself with and who your ‘friends’ are. If you want to be really analytical here, you could draw parallels with the employment opportunities traditionally available down the pits and in the factories where uniforms were standard, and conclude that work uniforms were just traded for social ones… (I just fucking blow myself away sometimes). Anyway, back home I placed myself with the Geordies rather than the Mackems. I spent many an afternoon/evening in the pub wearing my Newcastle shirt mainly wondering why people kept shouting “She-Ra She-Ra!” to me. I honestly thought why do they keep referring to He-Man’s girlfriend? Do I look like her? I suspect I would be quite good at fighting crime. Took me quite some time to realise they meant Alan Shearer the football player and it was actually a greeting as opposed to a statement. On moving down South, it was apparent that sportswear is not appropriate social wear (unless a match is on the box), especially for women. If you wear it in the South, people actually assume you play sport and know the offside rule and stuff. My football shirt has since been banished to the bottom on my wardrobe never to see the light of day again along with my willingness to strike up random conversations with strangers.
3. Northern people make more effort with their appearance on a night out. Women spend hours getting ready, full on beauty rituals are the norm and include washing their hair (even when they washed it that morning), a facial, manicure, pedicure, and applying fake tan and body shimmer. The men, shower, shave, and apply pong. But, the most noticeable difference is the style of clothes. Obviously, there is less off them, but they are also ‘dressier’ to use my Nana’s word. Unlike the people in the South, Northern peoples wardrobes are clearly split into sections: work, weekend and ‘going out’. The latter of these tend to be body-conscious, mainly monochrome (with splashes of red, pink and blue) and accompanied by fully co-ordinated accessories and make-up in the case of the women. There is a huge amount of effort made. This is because most people’s lives up North are geared towards their Friday and Saturday nights out. Which is different to the South, where popular evenings out often fall on weekdays. How does this effect the way people dress though? Well, more people in the North are employed locally or drive to the ‘office’. In the South folks often commute on public transport. This would go a long way to explaining why up North peoples’ appearance on a night out is a stark contrast to those down South. They are able to return home and spend some time preening before going ‘doon the toon’. Back home, it was normal for me to get in from work and spend up to three hours getting ready. I would shave my bikini line every time I went out! That equates to every Friday and Saturday and most Sundays btw (utter madness. And I wasn’t a floozy who was out to get some some either, in case you are wondering. It’s just what one did). In London, I meet my friends for drinks straight from work, often on Wednesdays and Thursdays. If I can be arsed to slick on some lip gloss and spray some deodorant before going, I consider myself to have made an effort and them damn lucky to have seen it! My family think I am shameful.

So you see, people may try and convince you that the North-South divide is about politics, industry and the living wage, but as I think I have proved, it is not. It is clearly about sartorial differences, perhaps originally caused by some of these aforementioned things, but that are now defining cultural trends of the individual regions. The North = revealing, uniformity and glamour. The South = layering, variation and understatement. As someone who has embraced the two ways of living/dressing I can honestly say both are equally fabulous and equally unfathomable to the opposite regional onlooker. That’s what makes each of them great and worth celebrating rather than berating.

Edith

Weddings. And what to wear to them.

Ohhhh, it’s coming to that time of year again. Save-the-date cards are landing on the mat and blogs all around the world are telling you what to wear to weddings. Well, Some Like It Fashion is no exception, we are *jumping* on that bandwagon. Hell yeah! Make room!

I’m going to be honest with you though, this wedding malarkey fills me with panic. Not because of the event itself of course. What is not to like about weddings? A girl in a pretty dress, several in comically awful ones, free food, plenty of booze, cheesy music and dads dancing. Seriously, what is not to like? No no no no NO. The reason I get anxious is not because of the event, but the amount of time, money and energy that I will be required to spend leading up to the ‘big day’. Very few weddings happen locally, so you need to organise travel, accommodation and in my case, a cat sitter. Then there is the gift, which means going to look at the register (inevitably too late so you end up buying the shittiest combination of gifts ever, something like 4 teaspoons, 2 glass tumblers and 2 hand towels). And then finally, after all that – what in the name of sweet Jesus are you going to wear?

These days of course, there is an added complication to think about as well. We are required to interpret invites as if we were Mystic Meg to figure out how to dress appropriately (The Coveted cover this excellently btw) for the occasion. As you know wedding attire etiquette is not what it once was. There was a time when we knew what was expected of us: dress, heels, hat, gloves and a smart handbag and the men wore ties (not just around their heads like Rambo at the end of the night). But this is often deemed a little OTT these days. The new ‘dress down’ policy offers more flexibility with outfits, but that’s not always a good thing. It does mean we can be a little bit more ‘fashion’, but we have to be careful not to compete with the bride for attention and remember that food, drink and dancing is going to impact on our appearance at the end of the night. And to make matters worse, there is a VERY strong chance that as you and your outfit descend into drunkenville the whole thing will be documented on facebook. Allowances for this must be made.

So, what to wear? WHAT TO WEAR? If you don’t want to blend into the bland ocean of Monsoon dresses at this summer’s weddings, but at the same time need a little inspiration, decide which shopper you are and then read on, my friend:

1. I have time to search for the cheapest suitable outfit possible, ideally one that I can return should the hem somehow mysteriously fall down after being worn only once…
2. I have time to search for an outfit and a bit of dosh, but it needs to be something I will wear again afterwards.
3. I just want to throw money at the problem and make it go away!

1: I have time to search for the cheapest suitable outfit possible, ideally one that I can return should the hem somehow mysteriously fall down after being worn only once…

With the exception of the cuff and headband, this outfit is entirely high street and therefore quite bargainous. I ain’t going to lie to you, you could find cheaper if you are brave enough to tackle a Primark. I ain’t. This Luella style yellow dress is from Red Herring and can be purchased in Debenhams. Team this with a boyfriend style blazer, simple stud earrings and black shoes so that is doesn’t seem twee (those pictured are from Topshop). Because the dress is so froufrou, the accessories need to be simple. An in your face fascinator (the norm for most wedding guests) would be too much, so an Alice band is the perfect solution. This one is Miu Miu and you can buy it on-line from Start boutique in London. Finally, a flash of contrasting colour is added in the form of a purple cuff by Fendi from Net-a-Porter. Obviously, there are high street versions of this Alice band and bracelet, so if the piggy bank is empty, check out Accessorize or even New Look for an abundance of options.

Tip: do not be tempted to go too matchy-matchy. You are not posh spice! (Are you? Please be reading this, Vicky, pleaaaase). Break up a colour scheme by adding a small flash of a contrasting colour.

2: I have time to search for an outfit and a bit of dosh, but it needs to be something I will wear again afterwards.

This outfit is a refreshing change to what you see at most weddings as women tend to veer away from trousers. Don’t be put off, it is completely appropriate. These pieces work fantastically as separates and will be great additions to your wardrobe. The silk top is David Szeto and is available from Matches. He’s a pricey piece, but the lobster print is beautiful and unique. The black high waisted trousers are from Debenhams and will transport you effortlessly from the ceremony to dinner to dancing. The shoes are from Reiss and the earrings are Urban Outfitters, they will work with so many other outfits in addition to this it’s ridiculous. The soft peach hue of the Vanessa Bruno demi- sheer jacket compliments the printed top and the bright blue bag by Topshop makes the whole outfit pop giving it a ‘fashion’ edge.

Tip: Go easy on the jewellery. You are not in the A-Team. Earrings, a necklace, a bracelet and a ring is far too much. Go for a two at the most. If the neckline is quite busy (like above) chose earrings over a necklace.

3: I just want to throw money at the problem and make it go away!

If you want to do all of your purchasing on the interwebby and have a credit card burning a hole in your pocket, this is the perfect outfit for you. Everything (bar the silk flowers) is from Net-a-Porter. This orange dress by Vanessa Bruno is a beautiful tone and perfect for summer shin-digs. The cut is tres flattering (and it will be comfortable even after a 3 course meal and knee slides on the dance floor). The fabric of the dress is almost casual, so team it with a nice tailored jacket like this one from Vivienne Westwood to smarten it up. Simple black shoes like these from Marc Jacobs and this black clutch from Christian Louboutin tie the whole look together. A bit of bling in the form of a long Vivienne Westwood orb compliments perfectly. Finally, some silk flowers in the hair are a lovely alternative to a hat. These two are from V V Rouleaux and can be pinned into hair, or, if your hair is short, stitch them onto a piece of ribbon and tie around your head as you would a head scarf.

TIP: Spend more money on accessories, they won’t date as fast and it is true what they say: they do make cheaper clothes look expensive.

So, there you have it. Dressing for weddings, in (quite a large) facebook worthy nutshell.

Edith

New York: The Style Myth

Contrary to popular belief, people in New York do not dress ‘cool’ like on Sex and the City. And so, I ask you good people; what the fuck? Does this mean we can’t believe what we see on television anymore? Is nothing sacred?

Well, good news, I am here to right this urban myth and tell you that while the vast majority of New Yorkers can’t be described as cool or stylish, they can be pushed into a very specific (and gawd awful) fashion pigeonhole. A pigeon hole that in my holy opinion should only be populated by five year old children. The women favour the distressed playground-look jeans, a baaaaaaad belt (think cheap looking, studded and big buckled), what appears to be their frumpy mam’s Manolo Blahnik wannabe shoes, a t-shirt made out of clingy jersey that rides up repeatedly throughout the day to expose their belly and finally some comedy sized sunglasses. And well, the men don’t do much better. Firstly, the shoes. The shoes! Why are they so fat? Everything is worn a bizillion times too big, making even the most handsome of men look like young boys wearing their older sibling’s clothes. I can only assume that this is in case they happen to fall off one of the many sky scrapers and need an emergency parachute. Who knew the perils of living in such a city, eh?

Whilst this NY fashion realisation saddens me deeply, it also makes me feel quite smug about living in London. Sure, we may have our own sartorialist cliches, but we also foster genuine originality when it comes to style. Every day on the streets of this fair capital I see someone wearing something in a way that inspires me, that makes me smile. Like today, a flash of ‘up yours’ rebellion in the form of salmon pink socks peeping from beneath a city suit made me grin all cheshire cat like. And a girl in a mauve tweed skirt, royal purple jacket and fuchsia pink scarf hopping over Blackfriars bridge was a delightful breath of colour in the sea of gray and black.

My point is this. During my visits to NY I haven’t ever seen a single person whose outfit made me smile and say ‘I like what you have done there, friend’. I haven’t even seen one person whose outfit made me smile and say ‘I don’t like what you have done there, friend, but I see what you tried to do and appreciate the sentiment’. My second point is this. During my visits to NY, I have seen hundreds of people that made me frown and say ‘Meh. MeeeeEEHHHhh, friend?’.

What I am trying to say here in my own long, rambling and incoherent way is that while TV and New York may lie to us, London does not. Embrace the people on the street, use them as inspiration when you get dressed. Every day, wear something, no matter how small (a brooch, some patterned tights, a yellow t-shirt, some patent shoes, or this fabulous crown) that makes you smile. If it makes you smile, there is a very good chance it will make others do the same. If everyone smiles we could even stave off the recession. Fact! Well, maybe not but at least the journey to work would be more pleasant and we can rest safe in the knowledge that the fashion crown is safely on Britain’s head. So go forth, friend, and spread the fabulous, smiley, fashion love.

Edith