Just an update

Although obviously the most important thing about university isn't the clothes, it clearly is a significant part of it. In my world anyway...

Apparent local trends:

Long, sweepy hair. Mostly blonde and thick. Hardly any short hair. I'm deffo in the minority there. This isn't suprising, however. The hair here is EXACTLY like i thought it would be.

Lots of bracelets and wristbands. Esp wristbands actually, festival ones. But with the wristbands you get in fresher's week no one will look out of place with a bare wrist. I'm sure this is planned, somehow...

AND, i am very happy to report, the wardrobe is FINE. Fairly good in fact i.e. all my dresses fit in. Proof:

Thank god for that!!!

So before i go and dress as an evil fairy, here is a picture of my still-white-blonde hair (redyed a slightly darker shade now - too much effort to keep up with the roots. I did love it that colour though) and my truly beautiful winter coat. It's a proper 'Winter Coat' as well, with a sheepskin lining and everything. I can honestly say that it's - not something i say very often about my clothes - practical. Woah. I know, right?!

Just thought actually. Might get some odd looks in front of the bathroom full length mirror if i take outfits pics in there. Plus there's a toilet in the background. Beautiful i know.

Right, black fairy wings time...

P.s. tom cable, if you're reading this, HI :)

I think it's the weather

Recently i seem to have to been living in the same rotating circle of outfits. Because a) it's getting bloody nippy out there despite august having only just disappeared round the corner and i'm a cold-blooded lizard, b) working in a place where many people wear uniforms and you sit in a chair for 7+ hours does nothing for early-morning inspiration or lifting my mood and c) right now i can't say i've got many places to go to so what's the point of looking nice when no-one's looking? Yes, i know i should be constructing skirts from ripped newspaper (unlikely, although i would definitely consider making a Galliano inspired headpiece from it! Must look into that) and plastic grass to 'satisfy my creative urges', but honestly? I just can't be bothered. To spare you from my current hideous visage, then, this is what i wore to see the Debussy prom at the start of the week. Which was excellent in case anyone was wondering. I can always hope, right..?

Haha.

Shirt - Jack Wills. Shorts - Topshop via Ebay. Socks - Topshop. Bag - Ebay. Clogs - Swedish Hasbeens. Belt - mum's.

Somehow a back-to-school vibe crept in here somewhere; i'm not quite sure how. Must be the influence of seeing the little children in my old secondary school - for i am now of course old and grey now i'm off to uni - wearing their uniforms. I didn't realise it when i bought it but i love the contrasting white collar on the shirt. I'm normally vehemently against being an Aberzombie with Jack Wills and the like but it was reduced and it doesn't scream the label so i thought well, why not indeed.

I know my head's missing here and my posture is awful but i took these in a rush just before we left. And another thing. I've got a bone to pick with these socks. My New Look ones stay up better, and they were cheaper. Plus these have pretty heart buttons that are SUPPOSED to be folded over into a sock-turnover type thing but then the height they're at makes my legs look short. Sort it outtt Topshop.

I've got a whole long (well, medium at any rate) list of ideas for posts so expect great things! Or not. But i have been posting more regularly, be proud! Not that i've got much else to do...except for shop, of course - Ebay is always there for me in times of need. Or joy. Or during procrastination. Or anytime, really! Love'n'hugs to you Ebay.

In which I post outfits and talk about food.

One of my favourite places in the world is Spitalfields market, and one the people i like best is my friend Lucy. (Hi Lucy! See, i said i'd say hello. Thank you for a lovely day!) These two factors made today a HAPPY day. Essentially we went shopping, ate lots and that's about it. WHat else do you need in life??

I nearly bought: a pair of leopard print harem pants and a fake-mcqueen-skull-print baggy cardigan with elbow pads.

I ate: sweets from an old fashioned stripy bag. Lunch at Patisserie Valerie.

I wore:

Top - vintage. Shorts - Topshop via Ebay. Blazer - Topshop. Tights - Urban Outfitters. Shoes - Office.

I put this together in five minutes, pulled from the pile on my floor. No, i haven't tidied my room yet. Yes, i know i treat my clothes badly. I love you, clothes. Don't lose faith, i will tidy up eventually. Promise. Anyway. I was going to wear this:

Dress - Absolute Vintage. Belt - my mum's old one. Lets call it vintage. Leggings - H&M. Shoes - Ebay. I think they might be Laura Ashley.

But when i pulled it from the ironing pile this morning i realised the sides were only held together with running stitch, possibly making for an embarrassing dress/undone scenario. My lovely mother had sewn it up for me by the time i got home. I might wear it tuesday, i'm going to a prom (Debussy's La Mer if anyone's interested. Who's excited? What, no-one?! I know i am!). I bought this dress on my birthday shopping trip to Brick Lane which i can't remember if i've mentioned here on here or not before. I thought as there was a vague locational link i'd post some of the stuff i bought and finally got around to photographing! Yayyy for my organisational skills.

Other stuff i bought:

Aran jumper! Warm and cosy! Wanted one for ages. Bought one from Ebay but too short in arms and body. This is perfect. Almost makes me long for cooler weather!

Top - Lazy Oaf. Blazer - Primark. Shorts - vintage. Shoes - Pierre Hardy for Gap.

I found these shorts today! They were in the men's section and they are nice, and fit suprisingly well considering. Remind me slightly of toothpaste, i think it's the stripes.

I quite like my hair here. Had another experience today like the little girl from yesterday. This woman came up to me and said 'i just saw your hair. It's amazing, fucking fantastic!' and then walked off. I love London.

Coming up this week: nothing much. I'll post according to exciting events in my life, which are thin on the ground right now. But you never know! A well-dressed alien may crash land on the planet tomorrow. In which case i'll be right there!

When I grow up I want to be a princess

I attempted to see the Grace Kelly exhibition at the V&A yesterday. I failed because we didn't book tickets, but the permanent fashion exhibition was interesting anyway. I took manyyyy pictures with the bad iphone camera so i'll spare people the trouble of squinting through the gloom - what's up with the lighting in there anyway?! - and just post the best ones.

Festa & Co bodice and skirt from 1895-1900. The waist here was so tiny! The colours reminded me of an ice cream sunday.

Tracy Emin for Longchamps suitcase from 2004. I just liked the quote. Definitely too small for my wardrobe though - this size is more like a handbag!

Gorgeous Mcqueen dress! From S/S'10. It had its own glass case and i stood with my nose literally pressed against the glass staring at it from every angle. I want to eat it.

This is unrelated but i couldn't resist the expression on his face. It's a Japanese armour mask. They went into battle with fake beards attached to their masks!

Finally this is what i wore!

Dress - Kate Moss for Topshop. Tutu - Beyond Retro. Jacket - vintage. Tights - Primark. Shoes - Office. Hair bow that because of recent hair dying events looks nothing like my hair - H&M.

Kind of princess inspired. The tutu provided puff. It took up nearly two whole seats on the train.

I took this one because i took some inspiration from Japanese street style and wanted a photo in front of this vaguely appropriate painting. I look cross-eyed but i'm not, honestly.

Highlight of the day was after lunch when i was walking through the courtyard with the paddling water feature thing. This little girl was running past me, did a literal double take, stopped and looked me up and down, looking amazed. She ran to her mum and pointed at me. I waved. This is the effect i hope to inspire. I hope she thought i was dressed up as a princess, because i wouldn't deny it...

If these were red they'd kind of look like blood

Okay so technically this isn't tomorrow, but whatcha gunna do, huh? Today was disappointing. Instead of going to the V&A wearing my new deliciously puffy tutu i was asleep with no voice. Not because i normally talk in my sleep, you understand - my voice has been AWOL all day today. So to pass the time i painted my nails, as promised! Though not in the possible ways described yesterday. Ladies and gentlemen, i invite you to meet...

DRIPPY NAILS!! And in close up:

Yeah i'm pretty happy with these bad boys. It wasn't hard to do at all, just a base coat of colour then i kind of blobbed on the blue fairly thickly, followed by a top coat obvs. I found these,

which i was also rather taken with but it was late, i'm ill and i'm up early tomorrow for London. Which i WILL be well for. I will outfit post soon, i promise. Both when i can find my mum's camera lead and when i get myself a new camera. Which will be soon.

Sunday night nails

So sunday night boredom equates to me thinking about nails. Of course. After my birthday - which had my nails wearing Chanel's Vendetta, my favourite polish EVER - i feel like doing something more adventurous. These have been on my list for a while.

1) Zebra print

This is from Fuck Yeah Pretty Nails. It doesn't look too tricky to do with just a white background and liquid eyeliner stripes. This persuades me to do this as i'm feeling pretty lazy it must be said, as the messiness of my bedroom will testify.

2) Camouflage nails.

From Wah nails. I found a better camouflage pic with green/beige camouflage colours, but then i think i deleted it and as i said, i'm feeling lazy so i can't be bothered to find it sorryyyy. Downside to this is i'm not entirely sure how this pattern would be accomplished. But it looks better than the zebra.

Those are my two options. Maybe i should have put it to a vote. I'll let the world know the results of this insanely complicated and tricky decision tomorrow, when i'll also be finally getting to see the Grace Kelly exhibition at the V&A. Hoping to go to Snog, my favourite frozen yogurt place as well. Until tomorrow...

Blog mania

However hard i try, there always seem to be more fashion blogs to read.

This is good.

But, my favourites bar is getting out of control.

I NEED to get Bloglovin', or some similar tool.

Since watching Tavi's "Chalk" video i want to dye my hair cherry red. It used to be in a pixie cut and red-purple, which sounds cooler than it actually looked. At that time i had a very independent hairdresser who, when i asked for a blunt full fringe down to my eyebrows, gave my an uneven hacked thing that came halfway up my forehead.

When i get my hair cut and redyed (for my birthday, hopefully. Ahhhhhh 18 at last!!) i'm going white blonde. I wanted to do this last time, but because i'm cheap and only pay for the student colour night rather than, god forbid, an actual qualified hairdresser to colour my hair. I let an unqualified someone who used to go to my school do it. But hey, i'm saving pounds right? This time i'm certain, white blonde all over here i come. I want this that colour for when i hopefully start uni at the beginning of October.

It's results day before my birthday though. As of 5 minutes ago, 13 days away.

I'll be back with that Bloglovin' handy helper so i can actually READ and ENJOY all my blogs. What a concept!

Happy Sunday

Today i went to the Enchanted Palace installation at Kensington Palace, which i've been wanting to visit for ageeesssss but have only just got round to it.

Note: i love the colour blusher the princess is wearing here.

I was really hoping they'd let you take pictures but a bossy man followed me round the whole time making sure i didn't have time to sneak nearly enough photos with my brother's unfamiliar camera. Due to the unfamiliarness of said camera i haven't uploaded the pics i did manage to take yet, but here is one of me and one of the 'Princess of the world' dress which was truly lovely. Bad quality because taken on my phone.

Boooo i look really grumpy here.

I went mainly (well, completely, actually) for the fashion and the fairytales as they are my two favourite things, but the history was interesting as well. What struck me most was how lonely many of the princesses seemed to have been - the palace was a luxurious prison to them. The whole exhibition was beautiful in a way i'd like to emulate, ethereal and otherworldly. Plus i have now decided when i get a house i am definitely having trees planted in the living room carpet so i can hang scarves and house keys on the branches.

I didn't take an outfit pic because of the camera issues, but I wore a cream Topshop dress with a cutout back with small pink and grey motifs all over , my mum's old (vintage, yeah?) denim waistcoat and silver sparkly ankle socks and cream brogues. Oh, and a massive bow made of fake hair on my deliberately frizzy-for-achange-instead-of-poker-straight head. I love that bow, i really do. It doesn't match my hair colour that well and it wasn't popular amongst more normal people when i wore it out the other night, but i don't care. It's MY bow. I regretted the brogues when my feet got hot after a spicy Wagamama's tofu and coconut late lunch. HOT FEET ARE BAD THINGS.

I seriously missed my camera today which despite being elderly was faithful, and i knew how to turn the flash on and off. BUTBUTBUT i am starting a new job tomorrow. Although this is kindof a little bit slightly annoying in that it takes away my gorgeous long holiday which i waited so long for, on the other hand it does pay and i really need the money. Then i can buy myself a shiny new updated version of my old camera and take better pictures fo yo. At the mo i'm on poor quality iphone photos.

Nails this week. See what i did there with the strawberry theme, do you? Do you??

I'm amazed at how much less the Barry M topcoat i have (worn here) chips less than the Essie one i got for christmas. I bite my nails, and i painted these on Tuesday i think. Hardly any chippage, impressive! I tried to send this pic to fuckyeahprettynails but i couldn't work out the submission box. Oops. I am such a technophobe at heart.

After Wagamama's i went to Spitalfields market which i may marry some day. I bought dark chocolate Montezuma buttons because they're one of the only types of chocolate i'll actually eat. Then i bought a bodycon dress which even i am brave enough to wear - i have moderate bodycon fear - from the Tatty Brown stall. It's basically a black tshirt dress, with lots of net petals sewn onto the shoulders to make sleeves. Lovely stuff. Should be good for going out when i finally turn 18 in less than a month! I've got another dress from Tatty Brown from a few years back - they incorporate vintage material into their clothes. And because i've got this job lined up i didn't feel too guilty about adding to a wardrobe which is too obese for it's actual wardrobe. God knows how i'll manage at uni...

COMING UP THIS WEEK:

• I have to work out what to wear to a smartish job in a basement, in the summer, using a wardrobe that contains no black trousers or skirts expect for my old school one and that has unpleasant pervy connotations.
• A Topshop delivery should arrive, containing some immensely practical cream lace boots that i'm pretty sure you can't wash.
• Lula issue 10 arrives. So psyched for this!!
• I may finally get around to reading the French Vogue i bought nearly a month ago in Paris.
• I will attempt DIY - cutting off some old black tights to make cycling shorts and a homemade Miu Miu collar. Quelle horror! You see, French Vogue's made it's mark already.
• I may take a picture of my Pierre Hardy for Gap brown wedges which arrived this week. About a million years too late for the blogosphere i know, but that's what you get round here. I wore them friday night and they earned their keep, so hopefully they should be out the box again soon!
• I will decide what nail art to attempt this week. I may be becoming slightly obsessed with nail blogs.

WATCH THIS SPACE to see what is posted about! Or not, depending how lazy i feel. Place your bets now!

I promise to do my best, love my god.. nope, the rest of the brownie promise has deserted me. Sorry.

Something that's come to my attention recently is how my blog-reading habits have changed. Obviously you can never read every blog - my ever-growing bookmarks list and stubborness/laziness not to change to that bloglovin' whatsit which i'm sure would actually be easier god i really should do that etc blah blah are testament to that - but those i used to read are most of the 'main' fashion blogs, by which i mean Style Rookie, Sea of Shoes and stufff. I still read these, but i've been tending much more towards blogs which are similar, but seemingly not in a way i can name in my head.

I just stole a chocolate from a box in front of me that doesn't belong to me. I'm not sorry about it either. It was good. Even though i've already had pasta overload today.

Anyway. I've been reading White Lightning, Nice and Shiny, Self-Constructed Freak and Gem Fatale A LOT recently. I don't know whether this is because my own personal style is more like these people, or maybe because they don't use quite so many designers so i can relate to them more, but i suspect it's because they write in a more personable style than say Tavi. Style Rookie is of course a wonderful, well written blog, but it always makes me feel slightly inadequate as i have to stop about fifty times each post to look up something she referenced. Sometimes this is a good thing as it's what i'm in the mood for, but i really do have to be in the mood for her excellently written posts. I can click on over to the blogs previously mentioned any old time, and i think this is because they are slightly more...colloquial? Maybe..less consciously fashion based, like not always referencing designers?

So after i came to this convoluted, badly thought through conclusion, i decided this what was what i want my blog to be like. I haven't blogged enough before for this to become an issue, but i'm determined that what i write should portray me, my style and thoughts and i don't really mind if anyone wants to read what little ol' me has to say, i kinda just want to get it down so i know what i've been thinking about. I will personable and colloquial, and leave the well researched and intelligent fashions conversation for those more knowledgeable than me. Expect a lot about things i want to buy but can't afford, nail colour procrastinations and fickle, designer led trends because i buy into the mass-marketed trends like the unoriginal person i am.

If anyone has bothered to read to the end of that badly written (for laziness quota, please see previous post) convoluted post, i thank you from the bottom of my heart and am amazed.

Here are my promises to myself that i WILL keep and follow to the letter - promise...

1) I will blog at least three times a week.

2) I will outfit post, despite my wonderful ability to look stupid in every pose i try. This may involve me hiding my hand with my face in attempt to look better. Right now my camera is broken sob sob i loved that camera like a child, but i will beg/borrow/steal until i acquire another one.

3) I will not be pretentious and try to sound knowledgeable about collections that i really know nothing about.

4) I will try not to worry about how some days i don't bother to dress up much because i am tired am lazy, but will try to highlight the GOOD days.

5) I will not use 'lol'. Though not against it, i feel it truly has no place right here. Sorry, lol, i will continue to use you with friends who don't judge. Don't give up on me quite yet.

6) I will try to be at least vaguely original, sometimes, maybe.

Internet, i trust you to keep me to these!

Let's go...

LAZY

So despite promising myself that once exams were over (I just survived. Quaffed a whole bottle of rescue remedy throughout exam time though) i would blog EVERY day, WITHOUT fail, i've been spending my days doing, really, well, nothing. It's reaching the point when i can no longer justify this by saying i'm due a relaxing break because of the horror that are A levels, as it's been 2-3 weeks now. I feel i must do something that doesn't involve wearing pyjamas until my parents get home, watching obscure documentaries about chinese school children or eating pasta twice in one day.

I think i really do need to get properly into this blogging lark - i know i'll enjoy it once i get there - if only to practise my writing. Which i'm damn sure does need practising.

I can tell i'm being lazy because i can't even be bothered to turn my 'i's into capitals. LAZY AS.

So, jeez, fashion stuff. I'll get round to it, honestly. Even if no one reads this blog but me! I'm sending my thoughts into the wide, wide internet...who knows what will happen??

Knee length socks

So recently, I've been feelin' the vibe for some socky goodness of the knee length kind. I actually started feeling this about two years ago when I bought a pair of silky grey ribbed socks, with a turn down at the knee. I would insert picture here, but these socks were camera shy. So when I recently took a fancy to a flowery ribbed type affair, I thought "it's okay, I'll just pull on out those socks I so sensibly bought all those years ago".

Not so, people. Not so.

I went on a sock hunt. I searched high (thigh high), low (trainer and sport) and medium (ankle, with frills). But nowhere could I find these elusive knee length socks!

Then I asked my mum, and she said they'd got a massive hole in a year ago and she had thrown them out.

What I want to know is, how did I manage to go a whole year without missing them? To be fair, socks are probably one of the few things you wouldn't miss in a situation like this. It's not like a dress or pair of jeans can go waltzing out of your wardrobe without you noticing. This coming from a person who arranges her dresses by date bought, occasion AND colour just to be sure that one cannot somehow slip away.

The upshot of the sock debacle? The outfit I had planned in still in the planning stage. And I wish I'd got those new socks when I saw them, because you can bet that now they will be sipping mojitos on an island with my grey ribbed ones...

Last night I had a dream about this dress.

Obsessed, moi? Never.

They make your ears bleed...

..in a good way, of course.

Sleigh Bells. Not the jingly-christmas-is-coming-reindeer type, but the Brooklyn-and-Florida-hailing band. I know I'm not exactly discovering them behind a rock for the internet to gawp at, but ohemgee they are just SO GOOD. I listen to them on the way to school, loud enough for my earphones to vibrate, feeling smug that I am listening to such good music and other people on the street aren't.

I can't wait to get hold of the downstairs music system, which is pretty powerful, and play them loudddd. Not really a band you can listen to quietly. Blow them speakers, yeahh.

They're coming to London at the end of March. I would actually go and see them - for me, that is dedication - but I'm on a uni open day that day. Wah wah. I'm hoping they might be at the Fresher's week of whatever uni I go to. Hmm..not sure how likely that is. But I can hope!

In an attempt to relate this vaguely to fashion, LOVE magazine used the song I linked to for their promo S/S'10 video on their webbysite. Andandand, the pink shiny leggings I've seen her wearing are HAWTT. Might have to go looking for a pair of them myself.

I'm not even sure I can attribute it to temporary madness

So on sunday I was shopping, as you do. Bit of Topshop, Office, H&M...

As I haven't really being paying rapt attention to the blogs at the moment, I was pleasantly suprised to see the Sonia Rykiel collection pour le lovely H&M in there. I knew it was going to come out soon, but was not sure of the exact date. So. Immediatly fell upon it like a hungry wolf and decided on the pink and black striped bow jumper. So far, so good.

Then, THEN. Went to look at the shoes. They were on a low shelf. I was wearing a supremely impractical dress which I can't actually sit down in very well so was quick about it. Looked at the platforms. Thought "they're okay"; tried on the pink and black pair.

THEN I thought - nah, not sure I'd wear them.

STOP RIGHT THERE. Since when did shoes have to have a practical purpose, huh, brain? What were you thinking??!

This has only hit me now, a full two days after shopping. Am I insane?? Why did I not want these platforms? I have even been looking for a new pair of black heels. They would look delish with the jumper. Ebay, or course, was not forthcoming. Therefore I have come to the conclusion the shoes have gone. RIP platforms. I loved you after death, like Van Gogh.

I did however pick up another jacket. Seem to be starting a collection of blazers, etc... This does make up somewhat for the shoes, but then I remind myself I could have worn them together.

Will now proceed to torture myself even more by staring at

Nicholas Kirkwood SS10 and drooling.

Post-christmas delights

Well well well, it's been a busy while. And it will be a busier while before January is over because of exams oh joy. But before I fail, I can appreciate what the christmas fairy got me - a lovely and large box of vintage clothes.

Now, I like vintage. I like it a lot. And in this box there were several rather gorgeous things that were welcomed with open arms to my wardrobe. Highlights included a Westwood corset which is practically edible over a floaty purple petticoat, and a floral dress that begs for lace tights and smoky eyes. Pictures will follow when I wear these delights soon.

I have also acquired some matte topcoat (for nails, not walls). Gives a lovely effect over gold glitter - sort of, well...matte. And somehow velvety. And Essie's Wicked really does look wicked, in a blood-and-evil kind of way. Which is the way we like. Oh yes.

Now comes the time to do a bit of christmas-rejection searching on good old Ebay, everyone's best friend at this time of year...