Labels...
The Verdict
Living in a town with two universities and lots of international/private schools you get a lot of international students, which add an infusion of much needed variety into the style and fashion of this city. Having said this, however, there are somethings I will never get: like why arab guys insist on wearing armani/gucci/designer craziness... in the form of rindstones, gold lame, and labels oozing off their oddly discoloured jeans.
So, I saw this guys on my way home from work - and he is a perfect example of the aforementioned poor dress sense.
I understand why you might wear a black puffy nylon down jacket and sports shorts if you had just come from the gym (and it was -10 outside). Unfortunately, I doubt this is the case here. The leather loafers and the Gucci baseball cap are just a hilarious combination by someone who is clearly trying (and failing) to look casually cool - why wear the Gucci hat if you weren't?
Basically - it's too random and too try hard.
Redemption?
Don't ever, ever, where a gucci baseball hat. I have never seen someone who looks cool or stylish wearing one. If you must wear a baseball hat, at least go for a traditional american sports team of some sort. If its actually cold wear some trousers, don't overcompensate with a giant coat. And finally don't pretend to "not make an effort" when choosing your outfit, when you blatantly and clearly care, a lot.
A bit of glamour...
I noticed this girl today at the train station. I thought she looked adorable.
The faux-leopard coat, bow in her hair, and white tights - who wears white tights over the age of five? I really thought she looked so sweet and almost like she was supplanted into the station from some other far more glamorous life.
I love how everything around her looks a bit chaotic and rushed -and she is just there, in her fabulous outfit holding her boy's hand.
Maybe I should get a leopard coat and add some glamour to my life...?
p.s. some people have mentioned to me that the coat looks cheap, but i don't think the cost of it matters here. she is young and looks happy with herself - i think the confidence to pull it off and not pairing it with something tacky helps it to work.
Matching...
Blue cardi, white shirt, black trousers... these two must have called each other and planned their outfits before leaving...
They didn't even notice they were matching, but I thought they looked pretty sweet next to each other waiting for the tube in identical outfits.
Lookin good grandma...
So this little granny looks a little silly, right?
Stella and Karl would have disagreed though:
Chanel Autumn/Winter 2007.
Stella McCartney Autumn/Winter 2007
Don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating the pink puppy dog jumper... but style inspiration can come from the most unlikely of places. And this really does show that high-fashion filters down...
It came...
The bag came in the Thursday delivery!
This is the one I got, but in a sort of forrest green colour. I thought the leather on the black looked a little shinny. The green one is more matte, which I think is nicer.
So, I'm very excited because I have my school bag drama sorted!
Thanks to everyone who gave me advice!
School bag drama...
So, I am in need of a new school bag. You see, it's complicated:
A backpack is probably the most practical. But how ugly, right? Also, this isn't America - people don't dress like they are going on a hiking trip in their day-to-day lives (you know what I mean, running shoes, cargo khakis, fleece... anything of the northface/l.l. bean variety). Hence the fact... as practical, durable, rain-proof, and easy on the back it may be - a backpack is just not acceptable.
These are the requirements: it needs to fit my laptop, it needs to fit over my shoulder with a coat on (therefore - no short straps), and it needs to be somewhat impenetrable by water (this is England you know, and I don't need to have all my papers soggy). These requirements rule out a whole host of bags... including all of the ones I currently own: either too big, too small, too awkward with a laptop, too short of strap, easy access to thefts on the tube... etc... etc.
The most obvious choice - that is also economically viable is this little baby:
It has a long strap, is water resistant, has a top zip, fits a laptop. It really ticks all the boxes. It also only costs 50 quid. The only problem is it looses seriously points on style and originality. I've already got two of these bags (sadly, in different sizes that don't work for this occasion). And, I've had one since I was 18... annnnd, seriously 1/5 girls of the university/school age has this bag. It's too overdone, and it's too widespread... and, it just feels wrong spending 50 quid on something I already have and don't even really want (regardless of how practical it may be or how much I love the ones I already have).
So, the next logical place to look might be a satchel bag. They are practical - they go across your body - they really are the quintessential school bag.
Satchel bags come in a whole host of varieties... there are a whole host of colours, styles and they range dramatically in price. For example, the little one pictured above retails at around 400 quid I think (but is on sale at Bicester Village if anyone is interested)... or you can pick a cloth one up for about a fiver.
The sad thing is they can be quite masculine and are so 'school'-y. Besides, a certain significant other already has the best Mulberry one on offer (the Barnaby) so anyone I get is just going to pale in comparison - and we sort of already dress like twins enough as it is. Anyway. So that rules out the conventional leather satchel.
So I had fallen in love with a certain Mulberry Shimmy.... like deeply in love. I thought it would be perfect. It fits a laptop, it has a long strap (in addition to a short one), it super cool looking and beautiful... it was pretty much a match made in heaven Or so I thought...
Something magical happened today. I went into an Alexander Mcqueen shop and I fell in love, yes, that's right, in love, with a new bag! I don't know what it's called, and I can't find it online...
I wasn't too sure about the fabric though. It was sort of patent leather and quite funky. But, apparently they are getting another delivery on Thursday and may, they just may, get it in other colours and in a more conventional leather.
Guys, this is very exciting news. Not only is it much cheaper than the shimmy but it fits all the criteria of my school bag! My long and strenuous bag search may be coming to an end...
I want to make sure I make the right decision though. I am on a new self-crusade to stop hoarding so much retail-psycho-shopping crap and just buy things I really love and will keep for a long time. So...
If you have any advice on a bag that might work for a school bag that I have overlooked, please let me know. Otherwise, keep your fingers crossed that my bag comes in the delivery on Thursday...
Spotted: Fancy Dress
I totally get fancy dress. It's okay to be a bit outlandish because you're dressing up.
White fishnets with white patent leather boots and a dress that is so short you can see your bum is not okay though.
Slashed...
Interesting. This girl seems to have had a hay-day with a pair of scissors. Her top is slashed down the front and across the bottom and she's chopped off the bottom half of her jeans. Best to leave the alterations to the professionals, love.
Leopard print crop top...
Do stores actually sell this kind of junk? It looks like a professional shirt that has been attacked and ravaged by a wild animal.
Animal print can be hot and classy. But, not when worn like this.
The collar, the sleeves, and most importantly the cut... it's bad.
Let this be a lesson: even if you've got a good body, there is no need to flaunt it about in hooker clothes.
White linen...
White linen is not easy to pull off. Pockets almost always look awkward and unflattering and underwear is difficult too... you can either blatantly see them, or it's blatantly obvious you are going commando. It really rarely works well, and is best kept for Caribbean holidays.
English men...
Why, oh why must men do this? English men... whenever the sun comes out they think they need to take their shirt off and walk around town. It's not a good look. On the beach - good. In the park - okay. In the center of town - bad.
Cheap or Chic?
There are a few things we could discuss here... but lets start with the shorts. On a recent trip to Brick Lane I noticed an astonishing amount of guys in cut off jean shorts. Literally every other person had them on (the rest had on skinny jeans, like spray-painted on skinny). I was pretty surprised to see this, because up until then I hadn't noticed any boys wearing do-it-yourself cut off jean shorts, and all of a sudden it was the biggest micro-trend around.
For those of you lucky enough to know me, you may have noticed that I've been living in my 10 quid Uncle Sam's levi cut off do-it-yourself-with-the-help-of-the-tailor (shh... i'm really not of the crafty variety) jeans all summer. I love them. They were cheap, no doubt. But all the reason to be even more fabulous. I sussed them out my self, only paid a tenner, and deliberately wore them day in day out despite being told repeatedly by a certain someone that I never would.
Honestly, I am not sure how flattering they really are. They can produce a slight wedgie effect, and I can say this truthfully only because I have witnessed quite a few other girls about with a similar situation going on with their similar shorts. It's true - old school levis have a tendency to creep up the old backside... but wasn't that in back then? I seem to recall photos of Cindy Crawford with that similar high waisted slight wedgie look from back in the day....
Anyway. Enough about that. The question is: cheap or chic?
Do we like these do it your self denim shorts? Will they last more than Summer 2009? Are they okay on guys? Are they really even okay on girls?
P.S. Boating hats? Really. I have seen two people attempt to pull them off this summer. This guy actually did it better than the first I saw. Hopefully we have seen the last of this, in my opinion.
Partners in Crime
The Verdict
I have seen this look a lot... about five years ago every other Orange County girl in California was rocking it - Ugg Boots and short jean skirts. Well, it was bad then and it's not any better now.
I can excuse this look if your:
A) A genuine surfer. Maaaaybe you would wear Ugg boots when you've just come out of the water (even though I have never seen this being done... but lets just pretend for the sake of argument)
B) Caught in a moment of panic and just happen to put it on - aka. the fire alarm has gone off, or you are running to the shops to pick up some sugar that you forgot... and you were blind.
But, it's un-excusable when it is worn as a well thought out fashion statement, because lets be honest - it's really not.
Redemption?
Leave the boots at home.
If you can wear shorts then you really don't need fur lined boots on for warmth... plus, there are enough cold and miserable days in England, so save the boots for when you really need them.
(Also, I'm not mad for those jean shorts or that faux-wripped up black jersey skirt.... but we can overlook that today.)
Tie-Dyed Denim...
The Verdict
Let's be honest, most of us don't need to be wearing tie-dyed denim. None of us need to be wearing tie-dyed skinny denim with rouched ankle detailing - that is just ugly and unflattering. The whole look is relatively permissible until you get to her ankles.... okay, I said 'relatively' permissible. But seriously, avoid elasticated ankles - it's really not a good look.
Redemption?
Balmain showed a lot of tie-dyed denim in their Spring/Summer 2009 collection, which started a bit of a manic following. It's okay to engage in some strange denim trends, especially in the summer when you can just throw on a little white vest and sandals and be good to go - simple, cool and not too try-hard. So take note - if you want to wear tie-dyed denim either buy a pair that exceed the thousand pound marker (and watch envious onlookers drool) or keep it simple and don't get a pair with elasticated ankles or any additional type of faff - because tie-dyed denim is loud enough on its own.
