autumn outerwear

Labrador Jumper - Ebay

Overboard Chambray Jacket - Nastygal

Safari Style Jacket (?) - stylescout.blogspot.com

Oversized Bomber - Acne

Jean Net Jacket - Cheap Monday

Sheepskin Flying Jacket - Topshop

Fishtail Parka - ASOS Reclaimed

Utility Mix Pocket Shirt - Topshop

TFNC Vintage Military Style Parka - Asos

Also on my list are pale pink/grey oversized cable knit jumpers, hideous brown grandad jumpers, and lots of cheap jumpers bought and DIY'd to have a laddered effect. Pretty much all of the above items are about a million pounds out of my price range so I will be improvising and stealing my boyfriend's army jackets and wearing them with skinny waist belts instead of buying a new one that fits exactly the same but just costs £9649745745... I am also tempted to try and DIY a version of the net jean jacket by Cheap Monday. Seems simple enough really!

sunday

leopard print dress - ally (?) in australia, belt - primark, bracelets - primark

Today has mostly consisted of eating coconut macaroons, painting my nails and waiting for Nolan to get into Plymouth so we can decide if we have enough money to have some cheeky Sunday night drinks.

Painted my nails a beige colour, as you can see <<<. I think nude nails are guna be a big, big trend this autumn so I'm getting in there early and I'm really feeling it. Beige nails make me feel like a weird mannequin type thing and I quite like it. One thing I like more is coconut macaroons, though.

Now I am watching come dine with me and still waiting for Nolan because he missed his bus...

pizza night

shirt - paddy, mdc top - stolen from an ex, jeans - paddy, shoes - new look

I have been struggling to find a way of wearing these jeans for like 2 weeks. There is definitely something unflattering about wearing 15 year old men's jeans that make you look like you have a gunt/penis. I decided really the only way I could ever attempt to pull them off is with a shirt to distract from the puffiness of the crotch area, which is fine really cos I rarely don't wear a shirt anyway. The idea to wear these (hideously difficult) jeans came from watching Flashdance and deciding that 80s jeans are brilliant. Dunno if I still agree with this, time will tell.

Today has mostly consisted of doing not very much, getting angry about the aforementioned jeans, eating pizza, looking forward to new housemates in big brother tonight and cuddling.

a/w 10 - secretarial simplicity

Michelle Pfeiffer as Selina Kyle/Catwoman in Batman Returns

Browsing through the A/W catwalks online, one thing became extraordinarily apparent: the secretary look is definitely back and is more beige (sorry, 'camel') than ever. This season the secretary look differs from the one we've seen in seasons past, as in the shy, yet sultry, understated vixen that resulted in everyone and their dog donning a pussybow blouse and high waisted skirt, a la Maggie Gyllenhaal in the fierceness that was Secretary. No, no, this season the look is largely more refined, more edgy and on the whole, more purposeful.

Céline A/W 10 (pictures from elle.com)

Phoebe Philo's new vision of controlled cool and minimalist glamour at Céline last season was still very much in play for A/W. Forget all that subtle thigh-flashing secretary chic has taught us to covet, this new grown up, pared-down thing is all about being self-assured, not being the typical office minx. This is power dressing without the obvious 'LOOK AT ME, I'M POWERFUL' shoulders and all that stuff, this is power dressing for the woman who is powerful and knows it, without needing the reassurance that comes with everyone else in the room knowing it too. The matte leather skirt and masculine-style blouse is a dream combination, I'm sure, for so many women who want to feel fierce in the workplace without ever having to try too hard. The key to Phoebe Philo/Céline's success is a clear lack of excess which is being welcomed with open arms, and heralded as a new era in high fashion. This shift in attitude, largely caused by the global recession, has seen designers stepping away from the fantasy element usually so prevalent on the runway and instead considering actual consumers and their wants and needs as real women. This has created a new focus on simple, wearable clothing, without scrimping on the luxury aspect.

Chloé A/W 10 (pictures from elle.com)

Showing a collection made up of a largely cream/camel/sand/whatever else you want to call beige palette, Chloé made it clear that they are also on board with this understated, more consumer-led, trend. The collection was full of spectacularly wearable separates, which is perfect for the level-headed consumer who wants not only 'investment pieces' to covet for eternity, but pieces that can be mixed and matched for a laid back approach. Another dominant feature of these looks was the pussybow that adorned practically all of the blouses in the collection (there's that secretary influence again!). I think this was Hannah MacGibbon's way of showing that this new era of simplicity can go hand in hand with a classically feminine approach, rather than having to be completely rigid and austere. There are turtlenecks a-plenty, and hemlines are never above the knee here, but these are not conservative clothes for boring women. These are not strict, serious clothes, they are just clothes that mean business.

Marc Jacobs A/W 10 - pictures from elle.com

Marc Jacobs' vision seemed to be a lot more traditional secretary/librarian girl than the subtle hints at secretary chic that I mentioned before. From the knit/skirt/socks ensemble above to the more night-worthy look comprised of a chunky grandad knit paired with a slinky full length skirt, this collection is definitely 'geeky-slightly-awkward-bookish-but-still-hot-librarian-secretary-girl' steeze. This is the kind of look I could really get into, especially if it means it might be acceptable to wear a comfy jumper with a skirt on a night out (the look was big across a lot of collections!). This completely effortless, warm and comfortable take on secretarial style/Autumn fashion in general is, again, another nod to the fact that consumers want clothes that are wearable and practical, as well as fierce, and is something entirely achievable without needing a Marc Jacobs appropriate budget. And that, my friends, is definitely something I can get behind.

pizzuh

Probably could kill for this right now. I need Paddy to come home so I can persuade him to get takeaway for tea...

astounding

shoes - dsquared2, photo - 5inchandup.blogspot.com


Absolutely. Fucking. Amazing.

shirt minus sleeves

skirt - h&m, shirt - primark.

I didn't actually wear this today because I haven't done shit all. But I did make/customise the shirt. Its like 2 years old and I never wear it anymore so I decided to cut the sleeves off and wear it tied up kinda 50s/cowgirl style, after my Cry Baby inspiration yesterday. This is how I would wear the polka dot blouse I posted, so I thought I would try it out with something I already have to check if I would actually ever wear it.

I think I did pretty well, apart from the fact that I cut one of the sleeves too much so my left boob is practically out. But still! I was proud.

lethargy

Today, so far, has consisted of doing none of the things I had actually set out to do and just eating biscuits instead. I haven't even managed to go to the co-op 2 minutes away and buy much needed electric and tobacco. I have decided that I am going to ration my tobacco until I really, really need to actually put some clothes on and leave the house.

I still haven't applied for Miss Selfridge because I am too lazy to walk into town on my own so I will probably wait until Saturday. All I want to do is go insane on ebay but with no money this is impossible, but if I actually got up and went to town with a CV I might get the job so then I won't be poor anymore. Catch 22, right?

I am now going to roll the thinnest cigarette the world has ever seen and commence ebay lusting.

tapered jeans

90s aerostaple blue tapered jeans - ebay

I want these. I don't know if I would ever wear them/pull them off effectively. But in the name of 'branching out' in the wardrobe department, I am entertaining the idea...

sheer brilliance

vintage 50s sheer polka dot blouse - ebay

As I just said, watching Cry Baby has inspired me and thrust me into a world of wanting to buy every 50s vintage item I can find. This shirt is brilliant. I don't own anything like this and I feel like it is time I branched out from denim shorts, oversized t-shirts and plaid shirts. This sheer little beauty would be good with high waisted shorts, or skirts and is pretty perfect for Summer, by my reckoning. And at £9 with free p&p this sounds like a pretty bleddy good bargain.

Expect loads more of this kind of post shortly...

john waters appresh

This man is a hero. I just finished watching Cry Baby for the 4353987523897029453468343483475389745th time. Now I am feeling inspired and hunting for a 50s polka dot blouse and other such goodies on ebay.

feed me

I am so hungry and would kill for a gourmet burger right now. Plymouth moves too slowly to actually have a Gourmet Burger Kitchen, and I don't have any burgers in my own kitchen. Annoying. I am debating whether to have a pasta bake or noodles as a substitute and can't decide.

This is my day. I want to shop really badly.

owl be there for you...

owl ring - new look

Paddy kindly treated me to this ring today and it definitely pleased me. I spent three hours doing a 'training' day for the new M Butterfly shop that opened last week. It was shit. Probably the most pointless three hours of my life, honestly, and I probably won't even get the job which is even more bleddy annoying. Applying for Miss Selfridge is what is mostly on tomorrow's agenda, along with doing loads of online surveys to earn enough points to transfer onto paypal and go mental on ebay.

Bey xxx

animal rings

turtle ring - CsCharms.etsy.com


croc two finger ring - haoshi.com


bunny ring - hipsterchic.com


seahorse ring - ebay



panther ring - ebay


owl ring - ebay


flamingo cameo ring - asos

After seeing the big ass deer ring that I posted a few days ago on hoyfashion, I keep noticing animal rings everywhere, so these are a few of my favourites. I did see a better owl ring in new look earlier today but its not up on the website, boo.

I think my favourite favourite is possibly the two finger crocodile one. Created by the Chinese design studio, Haoshi (means 'good things' in Chinese), this ring and the others in the series are all handmade and are meant to evoke a feeling of joy at everyday objects, so that all the 'good things' in the world are appreciated. Although handmade, therefore obviously not simple to make, the white plastic against the silver ring gives off such a clean aesthetic I just can't resist. The rest of the rings above are all pretty busy, and tacky ofc, and this is so different and so much more precise. It also carries a $95 price, so I suppose that sets it apart.

faux leather panel

vintage levi's shirt - paddy, tshirt (cut up by me) - h&m, faux leather panel skirt - h&m, fake marc by marc jacobs bag - hong kong, necklace - new look, bracelets - various

This skirt is good. I am definitely in a skirt mood recently. This one is particularly enjoyable cos of the faux leather panelling on the side. Here's a picture -



So pleasing. I am really feeling off the shoulder tops with high waisted skirts at the minute, I dunno why but it makes me feel classy haha. I felt almost parisian strutting through town in my stripes and my skirt today. I am thinking of wearing something similar tomorrow cos I've got 3 hours training at a new shop thats just opened (!), and I always feel smart in a skirt.

Other than that, today has mostly consisted of wandering around with luke nolan, my number one fierce bitch, eating cheese and crackers, watching hollyoaks and being particularly excited to watch 'underage & having sex' on channel 4 tonight.

Bey xxx

purple skirt

skirt - asos, tshirt - ebay

This skirt is probably my favourite ever. I occasionally go through phases of being really obsessed with one colour or another and my most notable period of this was when I was obsessed with purple. Literally, obsessed. Everything had to be purple and this skirt was really the icing on the cake for me. Its got an exposed zip all the way up the back and the waistband bit kinda has a cool twisting thing. It's good. I don't wear it enough though so I vow from this day on to wear it more often.

Today has mostly consisted of having lunch with Paddy's parents and being drunk, falling asleep after 2 pints of cider, watching braniac, smoking a lot & waiting for domino's and big brother. I live an exciting life.

Bey xxx

chola'zzz

I said to look out for an in depth chola-related post soon and here it is.
Chola style is bad ass, by definition. Generally characterized by chinos, white vests (tight or baggy, depending)/crop tops, converse high tops, bandanas, religious imagery, false nails, pencilled on eyebrows, and red/brown lips. Definitely an acquired taste, and one that's hard to pull off unless you are actually in a Latino all girl gang. I would not recommend donning an entire outfit of chola typicals, unless its Halloween. There is, however, a different tact to take, which is the old classic of taking elements from this look and incorporating them into your own steeze. As if that wasn't obvious.

Before all that though, I wanna look at how this look features in pop culture...


Sandra Bullock chola makeover on some American TV show.

Christina aguilera in the video for 'can't hold us down' (more hoodrat than chola but still...)

Lady Gaga's little sister in the video for 'telephone'.

You can definitely see the connection between chola style and pop culture in a lot of music videos. The most recent I can think of is, of course, the masterpiece that is 'telephone' by lady g and honey b. The prison scene at the beginning of the video is full of chola-looking bitches strutting around.


(picture from elle.com)

Gwen Stefani is possibly, in my mind anyway, the best purveyor of wearable chola 'chic' (if you wana call it that). Her debut L.A.M.B collection for S/S 06 was sprinkled with obvious nods to this style. Like the look above, the makeup is an obvious homage, as well as the white chino style shorts. The sporty bomber jacket completes the look perfectly. It is chola-esque without being costume. I'm not sure if the jacket would be for me, but its definitely wearable.



This chain print drop arm vest is pretty rad. Something that I would definitely wear. Again, the chola influence is obviously represented in the hair styling and makeup choice, not to mention the clothes themselves. This collection was/is brilliant because, while being influenced by la chola, it doesn't take the influence to the extreme and the end result is a very mix-and-matchable collection.


prison gang tee - for the homies

I was just perusing some more up to date chola related trends and found this rad tee on forthehomies.com. I'm pretty sure its menswear but this tshirt has a definite chola/cholo inspired steeze to it.

Also anyone remember these...


Mary is my homegirl tee - Teenage Millionaire.

These tee's were real big a couple of years ago, and the connection is undeniable. Although definitely not my style, these tee's point out that religious (Catholic/Christian) imagery are a big way of incorporating a chola-esque look into your own. Oversized cross necklaces are everywhere at the minute, as are cross rings, as well as two-finger knuckle duster style rings. These are pretty bang on for this style. What says tough more than a two finger ring that could leave an implant 2 inches deep in a rival bitches face? (Purely hypothetical, I am not condoning or suggesting this).

Basically I feel like I've got nowhere with this post so I'm giving up now, finally! I hope and pray that this was somehow worth the amount of time it took to write but I feel like it probably was not. This is a shit conclusion. I need a cigarette and some pasta.

Bey xxx