Fashion through your Letterbox

I am starting to get a real affection for simple outfits. Comfy wear for lazy days, because most of my days are lazy. What I need, therefore, is tshirts. And plenty of them.

This is why I am sorely tempted to sign up to T-Post; you sign up for a subscription and next thing you know t-shirts and flying through your letterbox. Well, one a month anyway. These t-shirts are based on news events (generally fun ones rather than serious), how better to keep your style totally uptodate!



Sadly, my student budget doesn't quite stretch to 26Euros a month just for t-shirts, but that doesn't stop me longing to expand my t-shirt collection - I do need something to go with my new sequinned leggings afterall (yes, I jumped on the bandwagon. Totally worth it though.)

On the fringe

Before I say anything else, I have a confession to make. I don't currently own a digital camera. I mean, I think I have one somewhere but that somewhere is most probably back at home in Wakefield rather than here in Edinburgh. So, that explains the complete lack of style photos. That and my severe camera shyness, I really do believe that the camera adds 10lbs...and sometimes three chins, an impossibly wonky arm and cross eyes.

Anyway, my issue at the moment (other than exams and essays) is my hair. Yes, I do consider my hair to be an "issue", I honestly am that self-centred. When I started university last year my hair was short. And odd. Not a good odd either, if I'm being perfectly frank with you. It was even an odd colour and in incredibly bad condition due to excessive bleaching. Bad times, I tell you, bad times.

So I start university and in my flat is a girl with the most amazing long hair. Lightbulb goes off in my head: must. grow. hair. It's now like 15 months later and I personally would count my hair as being "kinda long". It's past my shoulders anyway. And far wavier than I ever remember it being.

My problems now are:
a) it's that annoying inbetween length where it looks sort of triangular when I wear it down
b) scraping my hair back isn't as flattering as I thought
c) do I need a fringe.

It is c) that I would like to deal with. Do I need a fringe? I suspect the answer is yes, however would bangs go with my glasses? Or should I just get better contact lenses that actually help my vision and go for a glasses-unfriendly fringe?

Answers on a postcard please. And if anyone knows how I can just make my hair look like Zooey Deschanel's, that would also be useful to know. Thank you.



she has a startled rabbit thing going on, but look at her hair!

Big Up Sweden

Next September I am moving to France. I'm not sure where yet, in fact I really should apply for a job pretty sharpish, the deadline is January but I want to be ahead of the game. I already know how stylish the French fashionistas are - just look at Carine Roitfeld! - but what I'm really excited about is in another two and a half years when I (hopefully) finally realise my dream of living in Sweden.

I've got the plan all sorted, there's a scheme that employs English language assistants across Europe and pays from them to learn the language of their host country. So Sweden here I come.

Now, the reason I'm excited even though it's way far off in the future, is because I know I'll have to up my game in the style stakes. The Swedish always seem so well put together, without looking as though they've tried super hard. Or at least this is what I have garnered from reading streetstyle blogs. I should stop living my fashion life vicariously through the internet...



This outfit is so simple, and yet she manages to look chic and fashionable.



I am totally obsessed with this boy at the moment. He manages to look smart and yet not overdone, I think it's the boots which give his outfit less of a stiff and starched feel. Plus, I the oversized safety pin on his pocket is a really nice touch. Basically, I just want to meet him and ruffle up his hair.



Colour never seems all that important in the Stockholm streetstyle photographs, but sometimes I do think that colour is a bit overrated and overexposed...



This girl from garancedore.com is my favourite Stockholm streetstyle ever. She just looks so simple and yet so good!

There's a pastel shade to suit everyone

I just rediscovered my favourite photograph ever!



I know Tim Walker is generally famous for his brilliant fashion shoots....but don't you just want a lilac cat?!

My New Favourite Designer...

In a dream world, I know exactly what I would be wearing come this spring : the entire Thread Social collection.

One thing I especially look for in clothing is shape. Sure, colour and pattern are important but an amazing silhouette wins it for me every time. This is why I am always drawn to tulip skirts, shoulder pads and belts to cinch in my waist. Not always at the same time, obviously. But sometimes...

So, not only does the Spring 2009 collection for Thread Social have some of the most beautiful shaped outfits, with clean lines and smooth curves, but the choice of colour and pattern for the fabric does nothing to detract from the simplicity. The cut and general style of the pieces could be worn anywhere - dressed up to a party or accessorised with a simple cardi and flats for a nice day out. I'm a great believer in not saving clothes for "best".

I am particularly in love with the hues of blue (apologies for rhyming) as blue is my signature colour - I'm always trying to buy less blue though, which has left me with a wardrobe bereft of some of the better shades.









This particular dress is reversible - two cute outfits in one!

Like, totally fetch!

One of my favourite ways of relaxing/procrastinating is online window shopping. I can spend hours perusing net-a-porter and wishing I had money, but now I think I may have found a new favourite window shopping website : far fetch. Today, because I'm too lazy to write a proper post, I thought I'd share some of my favourite footwear picks...



Suede boots by Andrea Pfister



Suede peeptoe shoes by Antonio Marras



Lace-up boots by Martin Margiela



Suede platform shoes by Casadei



Sequinned shoes by Miu Miu



Lace-up stilettoes by Ann Demeulemeester



Quilted boots by Viktor & Rolf

Ah....if only I had money...or a Fairy Godmother

Fun Fashion

Colours are fun. It's a fashion fact. And one designer who certainly knows his fashion fun is Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. JC, as I shall refer to him for reasons involving speed and spelling, likes to play around with his collections instead of just producing bland boring clothes. Take his world-famous teddy bear coat from his Fall 1988 collection, for example, now that was cool. Not that I remember, I mean, I was born in winter 1988.

The latest collection by JC is sticking to his cur-ray-zee roots, with the theme being inspired by Lego and Disney. Luckily, this didn't entail the models wearing dodgy Lego-hairstyle wigs. Instead the collection was a bombardment of colour and fantasy. One dress comes complete with hair and tiara, on the dress that is, not for the model.



Also, you may recognise a couple of the pieces from Katy Perry's costume changes at the MTV awards...





Personally, I like JC's clothing because it seems unpretentious. The designs are fun and (for want of a better word) funky, which really is what fashion should be all about. Plus, Katy Perry looks amazing in his pieces. Although, she would look amazing in pretty much anything.



You really have to love the attention to detail with the lipstick marks.