clothes rage: dresses over pants

was just flipping through the february issue of US Harper's Bazaar (fantastic cover, by the way - and yes, I do read more than just HB, but I happen to have a large stack of back issues I'm working through at the moment), when I came across the 'Buy, Keep, Store' feature outlining, cryptically enough, what to buy, what to keep in your wardrobe, and what items to pack away for the coming season.

to my dismay, in the 'buy' section was the advice to wear a dress over pants, as Derek Lam illustrates in the image above. now, those who know me know that there is nothing that winds me up more than when women wear dresses over jeans or pants, and i figure now is a good opportunity to explain to you why.

what is the point of a dress if not to give the wearer a sense of allure and femininity? no matter what a woman's body type, the right dress will show just enough leg and hug all the right curves, and will ultimately transform her into a beacon of style and sensuality who no man will be able to resist - and of whom no woman will be able to resist being jealous. WHY, i ask you, would any sane individual choose to hide that bit of leg under faded and fraying denim, or choose to compromise those sleek curves with trouser lumps and bumps?

for those who prefer a longer top with their jeans - for the love of god, wear a LONG TOP. there is no shortage of tunic, babydoll, or just plain extra-long tees in the shops at the moment, nor has there been since this hideous trend began. i am more of an advocate than most people of, shall we say, 'creative' styling, but to me this combination always seems to look messy. so save your dvf wrap for a special occasion and stop pairing it with your sevens, please. that is all.

*photo courtesy of style.com*

how to wear: the puff sleeve

So far, I've been really welcoming of the 80's revival - I mean, some of my best memories were carried out in spandex bike shorts and day-glo, so a return to these elements in everyday attire can only bring about a nostalgia for days more carefree. However, I was a little bit sceptical when I saw a shoot that included this Chloe dress in the January issue of US Harper's Bazaar.

Ah, the puff sleeve. Perhaps the most potent symbol of 80's excess, the puff sleeve had a way of turning up in every wedding and prom photo of that decade, and it seemed as though the bigger and more embellished, the better. I had thought that this was a trend that was destined never to return, one that was so clownish and impractical that it could never work in a contemporary aesthetic - but clearly, I was wrong.

And the funny thing is, the more I've looked at this picture, the more the puff sleeve seems to work. First of all, it's a unique way of incorporating the current volume trend into an outfit for the smaller-framed who might otherwise be swallowed by it, or those who are tired of the bubble / tulip / egg-shaped skirts that have been knocking round for the last few seasons. Also, the mood of the new season clearly seems to be 'anything goes' - so why not? Inflated sleeves are fun, tongue-in-cheek conversation pieces, and as long as the rest of the outfit is kept simple, there's no reason not to experiment with them. Plus, the bigger the sleeve, the smaller the arm appears - which, after a month of holiday gluttony, can only be a good thing.

*photo courtesy of style.com*

new launch: LOOK magazine

ok, a little bit slow with this one, but i have the excuse of being on a different continent...

so IPC has revealed plans for their new women's weekly, which is set to be called LOOK. As predicted, its USP is almost identical to that of Grazia, but for a slightly younger audience - according to the press release issued by IPC, "LOOK will deliver an unparalleled mix of up-to-the-minute affordable fashion, high street shopping advice, celebrity style and gossip. It will be the glossy, fast fashion fix for today's discerning young woman."

Maybe it's because I had really high expectations for this launch, but I can't help but feel a little disappointed. I'm perhaps Grazia's biggest cheerleader (bordering on deranged fan), and I guess I was hoping for something a little bit closer to Grazia's proposition - a bit more aspirational, a bit more glossy, a bit more design-led - but also relevant to someone my age. I mean, I'm sure there is a massive audience for a weekly 'high-street shopping guide,' but to me, the best thing about Grazia is the escape it provides - the fact that for an hour each week, I can immerse myself in a luxurious, beautiful world of shoes I will never be able to afford and the glamourous lives of the rich and famous that I will never lead. I don't really want to hear about the latest high-street finds - I shop on the high street several times a week as it is, and that's enough for me.

The point is, I still feel that there's a gap in the weekly magazine market for an upmarket glossy targeted at a 20-something audience. I think my ideal weekly would combine the aspirational fashion coverage of Grazia (although perhaps with a focus on up-and-coming, lesser-known designers) combined with features more relevant to my generation (e.g. less IVF and plastic surgery) and daring layout / design / shoots (not just a direct copy of Grazia - I mean, come ON, they've even used Jennifer Aniston on the dummy cover - who else put her on the cover of their launch issue? hmm..). I can't really blame IPC because they're continuing to speak to their core mid / lower-market weekly audience with this title, which makes perfect sense - after all, they are the home of most of the 'I had a tumour the size of a football' real-life weeklies on the shelves today. Perhaps I should just start one myself - anyone with me?

one to watch: alice ritter

already the darling of new york's fashion elite, alice ritter has recently been caught on my radar - and i'm loving what i've seen. the french-born designer has been showing her sweetly romantic collections in new york for the past three seasons - all of which have evoked a nostalgic sense of casual, off-duty glamour that is ever so old hollywood.

my favourite pieces are ritter's signature bubble shorts - even though they tick multiple trend boxes for next season (high waist; micro length; volume), they are still faintly reminiscent of a simpler, bygone era, like something one would wear to pick blueberries along with a headscarf of some persuasion.

according to the designer's official website, her collections aren't yet available in the UK - so big smokers will need to hop across to collette if they want to score something from ritter's new season collection.

*image thanks to New York Magazine*

mark your diaries: paul poiret at the costume institute

while browsing the website of the costume institute of the met to find a bit more information about the current nan kempner exhibition, i learned that the institute is going to be hosting a paul poiret exhibition from 9th May. i don't know much about poiret except that he is known for his loose-fitting, draped garments that helped to liberate women from their corsets in the early 20th century, but my interest was really piqued when i learned that the CI is going to "explore Poiret’s modernity in relation to and as an expression of the dominant discourses of the early 20th century, including Cubism, Classicism, Orientalism, Symbolism, and Primitivism."

i can't stand it when purists argue that fashion is a less valid art form than any of the other visual arts - and it's always really refreshing to me to see it treated as such. if anything, i believe that fashion is THE most vital form of craftsmanship, as it touches each and every one of our everyday lives. it's nice to see the costume institute treating such an important designer as the artist that he is by including him as a part of some of the last century's biggest visual art movements, and i only wish that more galleries and museums would follow suit...

*thanks to wikipedia for the above image*

how to wear: stylish winter footwear

don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't like snow - I mean, it's nice to look at from the comfort of a warm living room with a fire burning, as long as I don't have to venture out into it. the thing is, I'm a shoe person, and the precarious heels, glitzy embellishments and smooth soles that feed my footwear addiction don't really perform well on slush and black ice.

good thing, then, that i invested in a pair of fantastic aldo motorcycle boots before i came back to upstate new york for a month in the dead of winter. not only are they flattering, making my size 8.5 feet look positively dainty despite their chunkiness, but they add a bit of edge to any outfit, from skinny jeans & a boyfriend sweater to a minidress & thick tights. i can even see them crossing over into spring / summer - after all, what works in two feet of snow will surely work in springtime London rain or at a muddy summer festival with a little american apparrel t-shirt dress.

(this was the closest picture i could find - however, mine do not sport the massive flaming skull, but instead a simple silver ring.)

oh, roland

know i'm a bit slow on the uptake with this one, but i couldn't let a travesty such as this go without saying something.

WHAT was roland mouret thinking when he unveiled these potato sacks posing as dresses the other week? the belted one is at least slightly wearable - if not made from a scratchy material that really does not justify the 80GBP price tag - but the smocks! oh, the smocks! the girls in the above photos look like they should be wearing rubber gloves and armed with a bottle of window cleaner - housekeeper chic, perhaps?

i think if it were any other designer, i wouldn't have been as disappointed - but when i first heard roland mouret was going to be designing a line for gap, i was hoping that his impeccible tailoring and knack for making the most out of the female figure would come into play in some way - these shapeless bags seem like such a waste of his talents.

how to wear: schoolgirl chic

stuck in germany for a few hours after a work meeting last week, i decided to take a browse round H&M before heading to the airport. i'm not normally a big H&M shopper, but i find that the quality of the clothes is better on the continent than in the UK for some reason, so i try and make a point to stop in whenever i'm travelling there.

i found myself strangely drawn to the hoseiry aisle, particularly a few pairs of thick, woolly, cable-knit knee socks in school uniform shades of navy, grey and ivory. i was a bit short on time & inspiration at that point, so i didn't buy them, but i haven't been able to think about them since, especially after seeing this girl sporting an adorable bright green pair on the sartorialist.

as the temperature drops and leggings start to become impractical, thick, high socks seem like a good alternative for knee-down accessorising. i'm thinking of layering them over dark, opaque tights , peeking out of the top of chunky, flat riding boots, or even just on their own with a pinafore dress and heeled brogues. with the return to 90's in full force with black skinny trousers and grungy parkas filling the shops, it's only natural that other icons of the decade, like cher horowitz and britney, should be referenced as well, no?

red carpet daydreams: emmy's

like many people, the only reason i ever watch award shows is to check out what everyone is wearing. what can i say, is the fashion police officer in me. i've actually been away from the US for too long to really remember what to expect from each show (the emmy's are like the oscars for tv, no?), but even so, i have to say i was really disappointed with this selection - everyone looked like they'd been dressed by a soap opera stylist.

the best:

katherine heigl, obviously - you really can't go wrong with vintage escada. however, she was the best of a bad bunch of sequin & lace prom dresses, and i don't think i'd normally be getting too excited over this. not incredibly creative and won't be remembered tomorrow.

the worst

oh, eva. normally you do so well...and the thing is, i really like this dress, but it's just far too overpowering for her tiny frame. it looks like she's playing dress-up in her mother's closet. and the shoes are much too clunky and awkward for such a statement dress. no, no, no.

if the red carpet were lucky enough to be graced with my presence, am thinking this would be my look of choice - i quite like the idea of going short and minimalist when you know you'll be amidst a sea of long jewel-toned silk gowns. would dress up with a statement ring of some sort and black patent louboutins:


Preen A/W 06 (Marcio Madiera for Style.com)

Inspired by: Krystle Grant Jennings Carrington

some kids played barbie and ken, some played doctor - however, always the aspirational one, i played dynasty. i wanted to be krystle carrington (scary, i know) - the voluminous frosted hair, the glamourous gold lame, the swimming pool in the backyard.

and this season, i kind of want to be her again. last weekend i visited fowey, which is, in my opinion, the best-edited vintage boutique in london, and stocked up on enough plunging v-necklines, bloused sleeves, gold appliques and obscene hemlines to rival the collection of any texan trophy wife. even shoulder pads are not totally off limits. think i'm going to pass on the feathered bangs, however.

tartan-tastic

have to admit that when i first saw that tartan was going to be big this season, i wasn't hugely enthusiastic. i find tartan to be really difficult to pull off if you aren't in a band / don't have a country house and hunting dogs / aren't keen on hearing people sing 'hit me baby, one more time!' when you walk by. it reminds me of being an awkward 14-year old, wearing a plaid mini-kilt, argyle sweater vest and collared shirt and knee socks in a misguided attempt to look like cher from clueless.

however, my tune has quite possibly changed after spotting this sara berman wrap dress (photo courtesy of anthropologie.com)


everything about it is so modern: the navy / white print, the full skirt and puff sleeves, the crisp silk fabric. it's molly ringwald meets braveheart. opaque tights & platform peep-toes would complete the look

'so,' said Important Admissions Man between drags of his marlboro light, 'why do you want to take this course?'

i knew it was coming, and i'd carefully crafted an answer in the shower that morning, trying to best articulate all the reasons why i've decided to sack in my successful media career and try to start all over again as a writer - 'try' being the key word.

long story short, i've always loved to write, but somehow got sidetracked along the way, around the age of 13 when spending weekends hand-writing stories in a mickey mouse binder is no longer the done thing. i've also always loved fashion, something that has never been sidetracked (despite my best intentions, at times). put the two together and what have you got?

i've started telling select people about this new direction, and the reaction is usually the same - big fake smiles and glazed expressions that say 'fashion writing - not REALLY writing, is it?' it's to be expected, really - after all, no matter how intelligent or witty they are, fashion journalists are never taken as seriously as other writers. and, a lot of the time, this is justified. it's a profession that attracts the shallow, the superficial, the daddy's girls who have the money and connections to spend six months working for free at vogue, and for very little after that.

so yes, i do agree that some fashion writing is a bit of a joke, which is a shame, as i can't think of many other disciplines that offer as much room for comment, critique and debate. i mean, as inconsequential as it seems, fashion is important. it fulfills a basic need in which each & every member of society must participate on some level. it's the ultimate example of an interactive art form, one that requires ridiculous level of precision, talent and ingenuity on the part of the creator, and then goes on to require yet another level of creativity when interpreted by the consumer. it brings forth extremes in emotion, from the rush of giddiness that comes with finding that perfect little black dress to the anguish that is felt when those ass-boosting jeans that worked magic at uni parties can no longer be pulled up past the knees. it brings people together and keeps people apart. it can be intellectualised to no end, but at its core is completely frivolous. it drives economies, it reflects the deepest psyche of our society, and yet is still given second-rate treatment by 'serious' cultural commentators.

and yes, there are some fantastic fashion writers out there, but i believe that until fashion is taken more seriously, there's always room for more. which, in short, is why i'd like to give it a go - i feel like i can contribute something.

of course, i didn't say this in my interview - was far too nervous and Important Admissions Man cut me off after the first couple of lines to ask me where i got my boots. i'm not sure why i felt the need to record it - i guess because i know that no matter what happens, it's not going to be easy and it's all too likely i'm going to fail and be forced to slink sheepishly back to my old life, so i just want some kind of reminder of why i've taken this risk in the first place...