Henry Holland

Oh. My. God. Henry Holland has to be my favourite designer of the last year. Who knows how Victoria Beckham won British Designer Of The Year when this guy was around. I first discovered him when I was shopping in Debenhams, where he has his 'H!' collection, which is very retro, 40s and chic. I have bought several things from there such as a lace 50s dress and a leather backpack for school. My latest favourite of his is his print that was worn by Nicola Roberts to Cheryl Cole's 30th birthday party in the form of a maxi-dress. You can also find this House Of Holland print on tights, which I am dying to get my hands on! If I had to pick one designer to wear for the rest of my life, it would be Henry Holland. Sorry Vivienne Westwood, but his stuff can be worn as everyday wear too!

How nice are these? Seriously, the print will turn heads, but you have to be confident in them. Don't wear them if you don't want to stand out, but if you do, then they are a winner. Get them from www.thetightspot.com for £14.95.

This dress suits Nicola so well. She is a massive fan of Henry Holland, and why not? At first when you look at this picture, you might think that the print is garish and bright, but as you look more closely you can really appreciate how nice it is. Shows off your curves and height!

So, what are you waiting for? Get out to Debenhams whilst the sale is still on.
Jo xx

A Clutch Too Much

Really, it's impossible to have too many bags. One for every outfit should do! Just kidding, but if you have a statement dress, then it is important to have accessories to match. These are few dresses and bags from Boohoo.com that caught my eye.

 The first pair is a really stunner. Trying to keep with the natural feel with a leather clutch, this outfit will turn heads. You may not have put it together yourself, but I think it will be perfect for a New Years party. (Dress £12.00, Bag £15.00)

This dress is Stella McCartney inspired, much like one worn by Kate Winslet not long ago. Because you can see pale skin underneath cut-out of the dress, you can match it with a pale toned bag. I think personally that both these bags go with both these dresses quite well, but this was just on the BooHoo site! You could probably pick up a more stunning bag to match the dress somewhere else to be honest, but I had the animal print clutch just caught my eye immediately! Or you could mix animal prints and put the aforementioned clutch with the red dress (above). The dress at the bottom might be a bit to revealing for some, but if you can wear it, then work it! The V-neck really accents the curves, and the body-con shows of the figure below tremendously! If you were gonna wear it a tad more casual with a cardigan and flats, then the next bag would make a perfect match. What I particularly like about this one, is that you can wear it as a clutch for the evening, or use the handle and have it as an amazing handbag for the daytime.


Girls night out here we come! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and have a VERY happy New Year!

Jo xx
(Dresses both £20.00, Animal Print bag £22.00, White handbag £15.00. Everything is from boohoo.com)

Knitwear, For Now, Forever.

People have always needed knitwear. Ever since the loom was invented people have been using wool to keep warm. But I think that this year, more than ever, knitwear has really boomed. The jumpers that were seen as 'old-fashioned', 'grandma-ish' and 'boring' have come into their own. Everyone has at least one piece. The high street is full of them, and why not? My grandma made me a knitted cardigan 2 years ago, and I thought it ugly at the time. Not to mention that it was about 2 sizes too big as well! But this autumn, I can hardly stop wearing it! It fits, it's warm, it's comfy! And what's more, now they're fashionable! And I can totally see this trend popping up a few years along the line as well, then again and again and again...

New Look , £27.99. Cable knit is definitely my favourite way to style knitwear! It looks relaxed, retro and just adds a bit of something interesting to an otherwise plain cardigan. This one is just the thing for brunch with a mate or a relaxing day in.

Zara, £99.99. Okay, so it's a bit pricey, and I certainly won't be spending that on a cardigan, but isn't it just one of the most amazing things you've ever seen? It caught my eye on the website immediately, and if I had the money, I'd be wearing it right now!

New Look, £19.99. This is so cute eh? Perfect to layer over a blouse or to just throw on for a walk to the shops. What I also adore about this as well is that it will last into the summer months too. A total all-rounder. 

Wandering In My Mind

I have no real big inspiration for a specific post today, so I am just gonna get down a few fashion tips and tricks that have been floating around in the mess that is my mind! I have been so busy lately with dance shows and music shows that I have no time for fashion! I know! I am ashamed. Well, apart from the school fashion show, which is as hectic as ever!

These are some postcards that I got from my trip to Paris in February! The one on the right is a Mdeleine Vionnet dress, and the one on the left is a classic Paco Rabbane gown using ostrich feathers, and an aluminium mini dress also by Rabanne.

I have talked about these trousers before, but you have never actually seen them. Well here is a picture! Aren't they just amazing? £5 on a French market stall! 

This skirt was made out of one of my grandma's old saris from  India.  Mig Holder (check out my list of links--->) took the sari material, and my design and made a little pleated skirt and blouse for my summer holidays! She only uses recycled materials for her clothes, so it's Eco friendly too!

Not much, but I hope you enjoyed reading it! I love it when people comment, so please do!

Jo xx

IAmphetamine

Never really done a beauty post before, as I don't really wear much make up at all! I am quite good with make up, I am just never sure whether it's too much or whether it suits me. My friend IAmphetamine is a bit of a make-up queen. She can do practically anything with a make-up set in front of her, and I mean ANYTHING. Here are a few pictures of the stuff she has done...

The Smoky eye can be the simplest flick of eyeliner, to a full on gothic look. Experiment a bit to find the style that suits you, and when you have found it, work it. Wear the look at every opportunity you get! (just make sure it goes with you clothes please...).


The rest are just fun, flamboyant, artistic things that IAmphetamine has done!

Tribal Prints!

I had to warn off my dance teacher today when she said "you can wear whatever you like for this dance". I said that she should never tell me that, because you never know what wacky idea I might come up with! She also told me the she was in front of HENRY HOLLAND in USA customs! But she didn't get an autograph -__-  ...

Anyway, back to the subject! Tribal prints might be a bit scary for some of you, but if you wear them right they can be a real winner. My personal favourite is the maxi dress. Even though this doesn't suit me at all, I think it can do amazing things for others. I know it's winter, and you won't be wearing these any time soon, but I just really wanted to write about them! Here are a couple off BooHoo.com:

This is for the slim and tall only!  Don't just buy it straight off the rack, as it will suit only a few people.  But if you can, then work it! The print will make you stand out in a crowd, and you will be sure to have many complements about your dress!

Okay, now a few more people may be able to  wear this beauty! Perfect for people with a  bigger bust, as it has the empire line which will poof out and skim the bits that you don't want to be showed off. Plus, I can't get over how nice the print is!

I know it's off season, but you have to agree with me, these dresses are amazing!
Jo xx

Signature Pieces

As I have said on many occasions, I think it is important to know your personal style. Some lucky people can pull off a number of styles and colours, but for others you really need to know what suits you and your personality. One of my friends has it easy. She looks good in just a bright t-shirt and jeans, with a few personal touches. The simplest things, yet so effective! It can be a bit harder though, and it may take time. (13 years in my case!) But now it's all sorted, I know exactly what to look for in a shop, and what will suit me before I have to take 2 or 3 trips to the changing rooms and get my friends to get me a different colour or size! My 'personal style' is to be a different to everyone else, take the trends, and alter them to how I like them. Like when everyone was wearing harem pants, and I opted for pink flowery ones!
       

A great way to kick start your personal style is to have one or two pieces that you wear on a regular basis, a kind of signature piece. They become part of you, and trust me, you can get quite attached to a piece of clothing.

My personal favourite. This is totally my little baby! Worn at every possible opportunity, I think (hope!) it has become something of an icon. Easily customized (my favourite thing to do) with a few badges (or 15 badges...) or brooches to make it your own. If this isn't your thing, then try a shrunken blazer instead, good for the cooler months.

Everyone has a favourite pair of shoes right? Even boys have their comfiest trainers! Invest in a pair that are practical, comfy and suit your personality. Shoes are the the base of a good look. The nicest ballgown in the world can be spoiled by a pair of trainers. The leather boots gave the rock chicks their edge, the fringed suede added style to the cowboys and platform shoes (!) MADE the 70s! (I really need to be stopped before I go off on a tangent.) So what shoes are for you?

Sorry about the long wait, hope you enjoyed it x
Jo x





                                                                                               

Japan: The Revolution In Fashion

Japan wasn't always a centre of fashion, but since designers like Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto, it has been at the the heart of a revolution. A revolution that shocked critics at first, but it has really transformed the world of fashion into a world where clothes portray thoughts and ideas, as well as just amazing fashion.

'Deconstrution' was one of the main themes behind this. Deconstuction uses the idea of making the clothes backwards, by starting with a finished garment and slashing, spoiling and altering it.

Here are a few pictures of the sparks that started the bonfire...

Issey Miyake's A-POC collection (A Piece Of Cloth) where the garments were one size fits all and made from, believe it or not, a piece of cloth!

Rei Kawakubo distorted the human figure with her 'Lumps and Bumps' collection.  She added padding in unusual places to make a statement about the way feminine sexuality is portrayed. Rei Kawakubo saw past deconstructivism, and started putting more philosopihical thoughts into her work.

Yohji Yamamoto also like to steer from the norm, and one way he did this was to alter the western business suit, to make it more flattering, comfortable and relaxing. 

Day Out To London

On Saturday I went to London with my family. I had a great blog post in ind for after the trip, about the V&A and the amazing tokens of fashion history that it contains etc. etc. But, unfortunately, the fashion sections of the V&A is shut TILL SPRING 2012. Grrrr... I did get some good shots though, that I would like to share with you.

Well, this picture pretty much speaks for itself to be honest.  My first time in Selfridges (& Co.) on Oxford street, and I have to say, it's better that House of Fraser and John Lewis put together.

Omg...This picture doesn't really captivate the amazing-ness of the window display at Selfridges. It showed their new range of Stella McCartney coats among other things (which I forgot!) in a gorgeous monochrome, winter themed display.

Liberty. Wow, I have been there before, but I don't think I appreciated the building enough when I was 11. The haberdashery department is gorgeous, with buttons, beads, fabrics of all colours and shapes and sizes! Unfortunately, I didn't take any money, so was unable to buy ANYTHING. Which was probably wise considering the amount of nice cheap-ish stuff that I would have bought!

Well, there you have a taster of what I did in London, and some places to go if you ever happen to be there. Sorry about no posts for 2 days, but I do have homework to do and about a million clubs to go to!

Jo xx

Then and Now...

Another Post Today! Wow I treat you well! There won't be a post tomorrow, so I am giving you extra today. Off to London at 6 am :D Pictures on Sunday! Hope you like the new design of the blog!

Then...Traditional Chanel jacket with the iconic  black rim
and 3/4 sleeves. Shown off to it's full potential with a wide
rimmed hat and minimal jewelery.

Now...Taken from a Chanel 2008 collection. Karl Lagerfeld has truly done a great job keeping the Chanel spirit alive. He has taken the traditional jacket and brought it into the modern age with embellishments and new colours. Worn more provocatively on the catwalk as a short dress. I love the way he has kept it to one colour though.

Then...Dior's New Look of 1947. Reviving femininity after
masculine wartime fashions. Probably one of the most influential
collections of all time.

Now...Dior A/W 2008. John Galliano making a statement with traditional  Dior styles. Nipped -in waist,  big skirts,  billowing jackets. New additions to the look are shorter skirts, more decoration and sleeveless tops. Gorgeous.