Winter Warms Up - Blog 10

With the nights closing in and the weather turning sour, I’ve decided I finally need to pack away my flip flops and mini skirts. Possibly the most depressing time of year for me, because I am a summer fanatic. But (apparently) there are ways to still look good in the winter, without freezing your toes off.

First of all, I suggest investing in a good classy coat. I recently purchased a charcoal double breasted coat from Topshop, hopefully it will last me a while. I’ve realised, once you’re got a coat, you really can wear anything, whatever the weather. I am partial to wearing shorts and tights with heels with my big coat on top, it’s the best way to hide an outfit to surprise everyone.

Secondly, acquire a sturdy pair of boots, because with it either always raining or snowing in this country, you certainly can’t wear sandals. Boots can dress up or dress down an outfit so it’s an excellent idea to get a light pair and a dark pair to go with all your outfits.

So, even though I might have Seasonal Affective Disorder, there is still a way to look good over winter. But I choose to hibernate and wait for spring again, thanks.

Pushing the boundaries - Blog 9

Many designers choose to push the boundaries in fashion, whether it is between the sexes, between fabric and other materials or even between animal and human. You see people walking down the street wearing something outrageous and think, “Oh my god, they are really brave”. But more often than not, you are more likely to think, “Oh my god, they look awful!” There’s a very thin line between looking awful and looking amazingly outrageous, John Galliano probably being the master of this.

In my opinion, you should always dress to impress, whether you are going to the pub, out partying or even to Waitrose for some essentials (although, maybe I should have taken that into account, this morning). This is because you never know who you are going to see. But I believe there is a different between dressing to impress and dressing to shock. It is never a good idea to dress like an extra from the Rocky Horror Show, if you don’t have the confidence to pull it off, because it’s possible that many people will be looking at you.

So I think, be yourself, be adventurous and thrive in the attention you’ll get.

From Era to Era - Blog 8

It’s easy enough to buy a tie-dye t-shirt and say that you are from the 70’s, but wearing clothes from different eras can be excruciatingly difficult if you want to get it right.

I found this out after decided to go as a Flapper to a costume party, I thought, “Great, this actually will be quite easy, just get a dress that’s short.” After rummaging through my wardrobe I found a sparkly silver and blue dress. Perfect. I made some minor adjustments, like lowering the neckline and lining it because it was so damn itchy! I then realised that just wearing a dress wasn’t enough to pull off the whole Flapper image, so I had to make a head band, find the appropriate shoes and wear fishnet tights. It was not easy.

With Dita Von Teese emerging recently, 1950’s fashion and burlesque has been very popular, with shops selling corsets, stockings and high-waist skirts. Personally, I think if you are going to adopt 1950’s fashion it should be part of your style not just a fashion fad. After attending Punk, a nightclub in Soho, where I saw the Peek-a-boo girls, I realised that a lot of effort goes into dressing from different eras. Considering hair and make up is vital to get the full look from any era.

My top tip: Be commited.

Customisation for the nation - Blog 7

Customising your clothes is a really good (but really difficult) way to express individuality and revive some old clothes.

I was in Portobello on Saturday, looking for a coat, you know, winter's closing in and all that. I came across a stall with an over-eccentric owner, selling restyled and customised coats, they were gorgeous. However, they were badly made, I wasn't going to fork out 70quid for something that would fall apart, I left, disappointed.

It got me thinking how difficult it is to customise clothes to other people's tastes. Firstly and most importantly, if you are going to customise existing clothes, do it to your own taste, not copying others to look cool. Secondly, almost as nearly as important, don't over do it. No one wants to look like a walking haberdashery shop. In this case, less really is more.

Use your imagination and be creative, attach badges , pieces of material and beads to create a new look to an old t-shirt. They sell for £20 in Topshop!

A word of advice, when customising; Dip-dyed and tie-dyed material went out of fashion in the 80's. They aren't coming back... ever.

Start you own trend - Blog 6

Everyone needs to revamp their wardrobe every now and then but it's finding the way to do it that's the problem. I try to stay away from big chain stores like H & M and Primark, more often than not, the shops are full of complete crap and practically everyone owns the decent item in the shop.

At the weekend, I went to a clothes swap in Islington. A novel idea, I thought, and a perfect way yo reinvent my wardrobe. It was hosted in a quaint little pub, a great idea, get everyone drunk so they swap more! Unfortunately we had to pay a fiver to get in and by the time we got there, all the decent stuff had vanished, surprise surprise.

By the end of it, I came out with a Brown, man's checkered shirt. Purely because I didn't want to leave empty handed, not because it was "charming". It really wasn't. The idea of a clothes swap, is inspired, maybe I just got there too late. But I really do think, to reinvent your wardrobe, you need to get out there. Try new things, meet new people and discover a style. Go to a car boot sale, jumble sales, raid your mum's and friends wardrobes, or even go to a clothes swap. You never know, you might even pick up the perfect piece for you, or perhaps you'll come home, like me, with a dodgey brown shirt.