Cardigan: Topshop Black Top: Florence and Fred at Tesco Jeans: Topshop Boots: Jones Bootmaker Skull Pendant: Lynsey Luu Horn of Plenty Pendant: Mom found it on the car park at Dudley Zoo in the 90s. True story. Probably Elizabeth Duke at Argos.   I haven’t posted an outfit picture for a long while. Don’t worry; I’ve still been looking smoking hot. I’ve just not felt like posting pictures of myself. I’m not 100% certain why, but here are some options:   1) Plastering pictures of myself all over my blog still makes me feel uneasy and silly. (With the exception of the ones I had taken by the brilliant  Alex Styles that you’ll see on the “About”  page of this site, I want to plaster those everywhere with an accompanying note stating: “I look like this ALL of the time”.)   2) My winter wardrobe is a tad predictable – short skirts, opaque tights, skinny jeans, cardigans and riding boots in a variety of combinations. Yawn.   3) It is dark when I leave the house and dark when I get home. I used to take my pictures on my way out in the morning, hence why you can probably see eye snot in them.   I was all ready to put my half-assed attempts at “style blogging” to bed, and then I bought this cardigan. I blogged about my love of sequins before Christmas. Since then, several sequined cardigans had caught my eye, but I couldn’t bring myself to shell out £50.00+ on something I knew would be heavily discounted two weeks later.   Lo and behold, I picked up this ritzy little baby yesterday for a mere £15.00 from Topshop. That’s correct, £15.00. Reduced from £55.00. It is the best bargain ever and I’m going to wear[.....]

  There has been lot of stuff that has baffled and bemused me this year. I kind of wish that I’d kept a list of all these things, it would have made writing this list easier and have resulted in a far superior piece of work. Well, there’s always next year…   1)    Downton Abbey: Not seen it, don’t want to see it. Bring back The House of Eliott, now that’s what I call a period drama.   2)    How Facebook is ever going to make any money: You don’t want to know how much of my time and energy has been wasted pondering this issue. Best solution? Fine users for the following infractions:   i.     Status updates that hint at political allegiances with the EDL ii.    Status updates whilst in labour iii.   Spelling “with” as “wiv” iv.    Stupid chain messages/statuses suggesting that I can help cure breast cancer by sharing my bra size and colour with all and sundry. It isn’t funny, it is just plain creepy.   There are more but I’ll stop there.     3)    That Fenton video on YouTube: It is an old dude chasing a dog through a park. I can watch my Dad doing something very similar on a daily basis.     4)    Thatcher “nostalgia”: Yes, she’s a powerful woman. This doesn’t mean that I should respect or give a shit about the heinous old cow.     5)    Why everyone suddenly became a current affairs pundit/satirist: I blame Twitter for this one. From Hackgate to Higgs Boson, everyone has suddenly decided that their opinions and gags are so important and hilarious that the WHOLE WORLD needs to read them. I really hope 2012 is a slow news year.     6)    The Kate Middleton look: Hurrah! Sloane for the 21st Century! That’s just what[.....]

  I’m not one to gush about high street and designer collaborations. The last one that got me genuinely excited was when Giles Deacon first teamed up with New Look – the silk leopard print tea dress encapsulated everything that I love about clothes. Since then, designer collaborations have left me cold. Roksanda Ilincic for Whistles briefly grabbed my interest, only to lose it with the £300+ price tags. Versace for H&M made me smile, but that was because I found the mental image of my husband in these pants quite amusing.   This morning’s announcement that H&M have teamed up with Marni has melted my icy heart. I love Marni. I can’t afford Marni, but I love it.   Excuse me whilst I go all gushy and fashion smashion on yo asses: Marni is fashion for the thinking woman*. It is complicated and beautiful. It scares boys.   This video provides a glimpse of what the collection will be like – the prints and colours immediately appeal and  I’m digging the “kooky girl” styling with the knee socks and silver pumps.     Tim Blanks, from Style.com, hits the nail on the head with his comment about design that appeals to “sensuality of the mind”. I feel the same way about Marni that every trendy architect/graphic designer I’ve met feels about Comme des Garçon. It is fashion for fashion nerds. And I’m proud to be one of them.   Now, if only Miuccia Prada could collaborate with M&S (Laura Ashley at a push), then my kooky and sensual lady mind would be blown. Someone make it happen.   BBxx   *Let me be clear: all women think. The (ghastly) phrase “thinking woman’s fashion” is normally used to describe anything that doesn’t flash boobs or legs and involves lots of cardigans.[.....]

  Clockwise from top left: Jumper – Vince at Harvey Nichols, Converse One Stars, Vest – Aubin and Wills, Cardigan – Biba at House of Fraser, Denim Skirt – Topshop, Sequinned Reindeer Dress – Markus Lupfer.    Sparkles are a divisive issue, as illustrated in this little scene from a shopping trip I recently took with my friend Elly:   FADE IN: INT. YOUNG FASHION DEPARTMENT OF A MID-RANGE DEPARTMENT STORE – DAY CHRISTMAS MUSIC PLAYS IN THE BACKGROUND AS TWO YOUNG WOMEN STEP OFF THE ESCALATOR. ONE OF THE WOMEN IS CLEARLY DISTRACTED BY THE SIGHT OF A ROSE GOLD AND PINK SEQUINNED CARDIGAN (50% OFF!!!!). THEY WALK OVER TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK. JEN: Oh my god, I NEED this. ELLY: But when would you wear it and what with? JEN: Err, all of the time and with everything. JEN SWOOSHES ABOUT WITH THE CARDIGAN, PICKING UP JEANS AND STUFF TO DEMONSTRATE THE GARMENT’S VERSATILITY. JEN: See, it even works with jeans! ELLY: Jeans? JEN: Yes. Could wear it to work too. ELLY: You’d seriously wear sequins to work? JEN: Why not? ELLY: I couldn’t concentrate; I’d be too distracted by the sparkliness. JEN: I know! Ace yeah?! ELLY LOOKS AT JEN WITH A MIXTURE OF AMUSEMENT AND BAFFLEMENT. JEN GETS DISTRACTED BY A SEQUINNED LEOPARD PRINT MINI DRESS AND SKIBBLES OFF. FADE OUT   I adore sequins. I also adore lamé and glitter. One of the best things about December is that glittery stuff is everywhere. It has even got six whole pages devoted to it in this month’s Good Housekeeping magazine (which is, like, the world’s most sensible magazine). Do you know that you can get glittery orange and lime marmalade from Harrods? Well, you do now.   Whilst the idea of twinkly toast toppings appeals to me immensely, my wardrobe[.....]

  Anyone who knows me will know that I’m not a snob. Well, not that much of one. Bah! Who am I kidding, I’m a notorious snob. One simply must have standards. The post that follows is very short, kind of snooty and bit more “mwah, mwah, fashion” than I normally write (unless I’m ridiculously lacking in self-awareness about my writing style).  Enough of justifying myself, here it is:     You know that thing when you really love an item? When people gaze upon it with admiration and envy? It is your own little precious discovery, until you get mildly irked when you spot a fashionable friend or blogger with the same thing, then you get pissed off when it turns up in a magazine. Apoplectic rage sets in when your Mom shows up with something startlingly similar that she picked up from Per Una.   This is where I am at with my satchel. I don’t want to be an obnoxious fashion troll here, but satchels are MY THING. I got there back when Alexa Chung was little more than a good line in scathing quips on Popworld and a promising haircut. I carried a satchel when they were still properly nerdy.   They are everywhere now; having travelled the well-trodden fashion cycle from obscurity to ubiquity. From the specialist school supplier to Primark, via Mulberry then Urban Outfitters.   If I were fickle, I’d toss my satchel aside and start carrying something really uncool, like a “Will from The Inbetweeners” briefcase. I can’t bring myself to do it, I love it too much. Instead, I’ll comfort myself with the fact that it won’t be long until satchels return to obscurity. After all, what goes around, comes around.  

    This is a presentation I recently delivered as part of my interview for a PhD Studentship in history at University of Wolverhampton.   The presentation explores the nature of “archive” and “exhibition”, framed by the Hodson Shop Collection. The collection is one of the largest collections of cheap, ready to wear fashions from 1920-1950s. The garments are all unsold shop stock from a small clothes shop in Willenhall. These aren’t garments that have been worn by a celebrity or created by great designer. They are clothes that were intended to be purchased and worn by working class women from the Black Country – which I think makes them pretty special. The collection contains perfectly intact lipsticks, unexpectedly pretty utility underwear, 1920s dancing dresses, eye-popping print aprons…   …I could go on! You can view the full collection on the Black Country History website and find out more on the Walsall Museum website.   I was lucky enough to visit the collection thanks to the wonderful team at Walsall Museums.   I’m not sure how much sense this presentation will make without me talking alongside it – if you have any questions about anything mentioned, let me know!    

    How’s your Monday evening going? Done anything of note? Anything that made your loved ones look at you as if you’d lost the plot?   I ask because I’ve spent the last half-an-hour emptying my jewellery box and placing its contents on a cuddly squirrel going by the name of Gary (bracelets expertly modelled by his buddy, Small Sheep).   I carried out this perfectly reasonable act because the lovely Lynsey Luu is running a competition. You can win any piece from her new collection by simply piling on all of your jewellery at once and taking a picture.   Once you have the picture, email it to lynsey@lynseyluu.com. The best pics will be placed on the Lysney Luu Facebook page for a public vote. The closing date for entries is Wednesday 19th October.   I look like hell tonight so I’ve drafted in some professional models to showcase my understated and subtle jewellery collection. I really do own some absolute treasure/tat.     You can find full instructions over on the Lynsey Luu blog. Whilst there, make sure to check out the online shop. I really love the “Pants” necklace and the “Oi!” bracelet.   Good luck with your blinged-out picture taking adventures! I’m off to remove 30 necklaces from a squirrel.   BBxx