The importance of knitwear messages.

I hate the season of winter. I hate the cold, I hate how expensive knitwear and coats are, I hate how hungry the cold makes me, and I hate how no-one can see my clothes outside because I am always wearing a coat. I hate that sad feeling after christmas is over and I hate the depressing feeling of how much work I have to do when I'm supposed to be all happy because it is Christmas. I would say that I hate the rain/snow, but this is the UK... that stuff is certainly not limited to one season.

However, there is one aspect of winter that I absolutely looove! No it isn't family time, or the festive songs  (in particular the annual christmas Killers song), and no it isn't the vegetarian nut roast that I get to eat when everyone is eating a proper roast (even though these are all certainly pros). It is in fact the christmas knitwear that we all wear during this festive season, to enhance the festive spirit!!!!!!!!! We are all fans.

However, this post is going to teach you that sometimes it is necessary to analyse what may seem like a harmless festive jumper, and consider its positive and negative effects on the wearer, the viewers and society.

Cute: The one on the left. An asos original. This is the one that you would wear in public, not as a joke. The colours make it quite versatile. They do it in red too. How cute. The 'harmless' one. However, the reindeer are all following each other, which could make the wearer feel as if they must follow others in life and discourage them from behaving and feeling like an individual.

Costume: This one is.... festive. Wearing this would definitely make me feel like an elf- the designers have gone all out. Check out the bells. Everyone would know where you are if you were trapped in darkness! This makes it the most practical jumper of the bunch. The use of the belt on this jumper will make the wearer feel secure, both in life and in jumper, which will inevitably promote happiness. The bright green makes me think of neon, and therefore sport- and it will remind me to exercise. Very handy indeed.

Crazy: Another practical one.. Everyone would know where you were in darkness if you wore this too. Notice how there are no presents under the tree, which could encourage the wearer to not be greedy this christmas. And the upside down trees at the top resemble weapons, giving the message that you should always be very vigilant, and try to keep safe when walking alone at night.
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Calm: This jumper provides a truly inspirational message. The reindeer is clearly tired out from the stress of Christmas, and from looking at the nose, seasonal illness. However she still looks glamorous. This can improve self-esteem issues amongst all wearers, because it tells them that you are still beautiful on the outside when unattractive and gross on the inside. Also, the female wearer of this shirt will look in the mirror and be reminded that she needs to apply eye make-up before going out. It will therefore encourage even more consumption of goods this christmas, which is a good thing for the economy. Red is also the colour of love, which seems to be a strong theme at christmas time.

Complex: This fancy knit contains so many graphics. On one hand, the theme of love isn't forgotten as the penguins are paired up. This is consequently the middle pattern level in the jumper, suggesting that love is key. The jumping reindeers at the bottom resemble happiness, but the fact that they are at the bottom suggest that they are either drug users or drunk.. which should be everyone's lowest priority. Another positive message there. The message at the top is lovely 'I'll keep you warm'. It is the first thing the viewer sees when facing the wearer. It gives the idea that clothes can speak louder than people. Or that the jumper is almost protecting the wearer. Either way, teach someone a lesson this christmas and buy them this jumper.


Consluion (brief): I hope that you are now starting to realise that you must be careful when buying a christmas jumper. It can give out the wrong message to the viewer. However, most of them encourage positive thoughts- which I suppose is the point of these novelty knits. And they all make excellent christmas presents. Analyse your christmas jumper today!

What to wear when travelling by rocket.

It is Diwali today! I have not eaten that much in a while.. but I just finished all the chocolate I was given. oops. I will go on two runs tomorrow.
Anyway, I have been inspired today by all the candles, and they have made me think about stars, so I thought I'd blog about it. I will frequently update you with songs to get you in to the mood.

Song number 1: Infinity- xx
Got the music on? Good. Keep reading.
A lot of the things I post are about Elie Saab-esque designers. You know, the ones that are amazing but no-one can actually afford. However, today I will focus on high street shops and prices.
Let me just point out that I know that alien/galaxy/future clothes aren't one of the main current trends. But I love them, and it makes this task more of a challenge, which I also like. Also, a lot of the examples I give relate to current trends.As you can probably tell from the design of this blog, I am particularly interested in stars and other sparkly things! In fact, the whole concept of space and infinity intrigues me, but there is no point in delving in to that.

The 'Galatica' Topshop collection reminds me of the Christopher Kane's 2011 Resort collection, which is one of the coolest collections I have ever seen. Check it out here.

Song number 2: My mum and I used to always sing to this song when I was teeny tiny.
Topshop:

Those heels are fierce! The navy suede gives them an element of class, but the glitter platform makes them sexy. I love the fact that they are cut out at the sides, making them more futuristic. Man I wish I was an alien so I could wear things like this all the time.
Oh my god that dress is beautiful. Of course with any space collection, metallics are not a bad idea. I've never fully understood why, maybe it is just because they are shiny. But this is the definition of the Alien Princess in Space Nightclub look. The swirls kind of give me the image of moving light. Maybe the sun's rays through space.
The skirt has a sort of a Prada-esque vibe.. with all the geometry and small triangles. The print is also quite futuristic, as it creates an illusion of angles, much like the skirt itself, which is very unusually structured.

Song number 3: Super duper catchy

New Look: 

These are taken from the glimmer collection:

I think part of the alien vibe is to wear close fitting clothes, because it brings out your curves. A good example is the Ad campaign for the Thierry Mugler perfume. Leggings are pretty close fitting, which is why the pair above would be awesome. They also have a good sheen effect.

Now, in my opinion, to create a space look you can't go wrong with peplum, because it makes the shape of the garment so interesting. And this top ticks another futuristic box, by being so shiny. The sequins are very star-like, and would look particularly nice against plain black skinnies, or you could go all out and team it with black wet-look leggings. Very trendy!

Song number 4: The negative side of space.

Moving on to asos now.

Perhaps a literal example would be the sweater above. At least it gets the space message across! With a statement like this, perhaps tone it down with black skinnies or leggings and some high heels or for a more casual look, some black high top trainers.

There is a good collection of studded clothes on asos, in particular an amazing variety of studded shoes, so check them out. The example above have a fairly low heel, which is conveniently a mini-trend for 2012. And they are really fun! Check out those colours, they represent every colour you can see in a galaxy (almost). The fact that they are studded gives a disco star-esque vibe, as well as makes the texture interesting.

Feeling indifferent to the freezing cold weather? This crop top gives more of a nebula vibe. It would look amazing with a maxi skirt or a high waisted skater skirt. 

I think the three stores that I have looked at are probably the most popular for young adults and teens like myself. I would give more stores but I don't want to keep repeating myself. The thing that I have realised from the research I have carried out is that the space trend links in with so many current trends today- peplum, studs, geometry.. It's pretty versatile. 

Balmain is amazing.

Balmain is one of my top 3 favourite designers. I just re-familiarised myself with Balmain's S/S 13 collection and I was shocked (again) at how unbelievably amazing the looks are.
In my opinion, if you're looking for some inspiration on clothing detail, Balmain is your best bet. I would say that about 80% of the clothes in each collection have some kind of accessory or garment with the most elaborate detail.

The thing I really like about Balmain is that texture is a big influence. I know you could say this about a lot of designer brands. However, Balmain manages to team up all sorts of textures in the same look, for example the velvet trousers with the leather top. Texturing it up right theeeere. There is a massive velvet trend in the A/W 12 collection, it's amazing. And then the next model will be wearing a short belted dress. There is so much variety.

Paris Fashion Week A/W 12

The clothes are so pretty! Which is why I am so completely in love with Balmain. Yeah Elie Saab is pretty too (and just as majestic and awesome- don't get me wrong), but in a more feminine way. Balmain manages to take a short dress and completely bling/embellish/texture it up, without making it look tacky or slutty (in my opinion). And some of the clothes are super revealing. At times, we are talking deep V-cuts and hemlines that end 6 inches below a very defined waist.

Paris Fashion Week S/S 13

I like the boyish cuts. The image below shows the sharp angles of the shoulders, and immediately toughens up the look. The super short length and the fitted waist gives a more feminine angle to the look, but the blazer makes the outfit fierce. Good job!

Resort 13

Another observation is that I rarely see mini dresses on catwalks. I guess designers don't want to risk being seen as 'raunchy', or it is generally easier to experiment more with a longer dress. But for many people, especially the younger generation, short dresses are still very much a top choice. Balmain proves that such short dresses do not have to be slutty.

Paris Fashion Week A/W 12

And of course, I cannot do a Balmain post without mentioning the Balmain Jacket. Michael Jackson would go crazy for this. Rihanna, Madonna, Tyra Banks, and Victoria Beckham also enjoy Balmain. To name a few.

Heeeey!!! oh coooool! Not the same one but similar. 

Outside nose hospital

Balmain: inspiring, unconventional and alluring, it offers so much in each collection. You should go look it up some more!

Oh yeah, this song mentions Balmain at the beginning. This guy is clearly a babe, he appreciates Balmain. In addition, the woman he is singing about is certainly well-dressed.

Size 4 (US 0) rant.

Turns out I did go out for Halloween yesterday, as a witch. Among other things, I wore these boots http://www.newlook.com/shop/shoe-gallery/view-all-shoes/black-pointed-toe-shoe-boot_250452801
They're velvet, which is in right now, so I was happy!

Anyway, I am ill, and that is partly the reason why I have time to post something, as it has almost been a week. I was browsing the Vogue website and I came across this:

Jacket: Akris Trousers: Pucci Shoes: Gucci Sunglasses: Celine Necklace: YSL 

And I absolutely love it. The colours remind me of a sexy Velma look from Scooby Doo. I wish I could pull something like that off. I was actually looking for a coat around this length and spent a lengthy amount of time browsing the shops for one. But it reminded me of the fact that I am so short. Unless the coat is in the petite section, I am swamped in a standard person sized coat. 

And it really bugs me how, to my knowledge, only Asos, Miss Selfridge and Topshop do size 4. I guess it is partly because other retail stores are worried about the fact that it 'isn't a size'. But they are wrong, obviously.. And it does not automatically relate to girls with eating disorders, or encourage eating disorders. Some people are naturally slim. I wish people would understand that the concept of a 'real woman' doesn't automatically relate to girls with 'curves' or girls who are just.. bigger. Surely a 'real woman' is just a woman who is happy with herself, regardless of size?

Just because you are the smallest size out there at the moment, doesn't mean you have a problem! Think of all the campaigns supporting size 22 people and how they should be accepted without discrimination, which I completely agree with by the way. But....no-one reeeeally is born that large. However some people are born naturally very slim.

And you know what? Some people will in fact look at size 4 clothing and it might motivate them to be that size, but that's their problem! Why do the people who actually are that size have to pay for it.. We just happen to live in a society where looking slim is generally more appealing than looking overweight or obese. That's partly why models are generally slim. You never know, that might change (probably wont) and then what are we gonna do? Stop selling size 24's because some people may be pushed in to grabbing a big mac?

I guess maybe the use of anorexic-looking models makes people curse size 4- they get the idea that all people who are size 4 are anorexic.. but nowadays I swear retail companies are using healthier looking models? Check out Rosie H-W. 

Anyway. Even on the rare occasion that I do find a petite section, it's all so expensive (for me)! I know that on Asos, the petite clothes are more expensive than the standard collection clothes, which is totally unfair. I don't have more money than everyone else (unfortunately). I can't help being that size!!!! Why don't stores get it.. some people are size 4. Increase your selection!

I'll just have to wait until the baggy look is in again, then I won't be so pissed off.

Halloween: Glamorised.

Today has been a long, tiring, stressful, hectic day.
But I still have time to write! Check out http://www.livedonow.com/home/london-shopping/, especially if you are a Londoner, or go to London a lot.

I am soooooo excited for Halloweeeeeeeen. It's going to be amazing (although I'm doing nothing.. I might watch a very scary film on my own, get the adrenaline going). It will be amazing for everyone else! Have fun guys!

I still haven't established yet whether I have reached the 'dressing up as a slut' thing for Halloween. I kinda like looking scary. Unsexy makeup. Crazy hair. When I was younger I'd get really afraid of those witch noses that you buy.. so I kept trying to flush it down the toilet, and my parents would get pretty mad but I'd keep doing it.

The one thing that terrifies me in this world is ghosts. And DON'T say that they don't exist, because they do. And even if they don't, then the thought of them terrifies me.
I was thinking of a cool way to be a ghost, instead of a sheet. Gotta be honest though, if someone appeared at my door dressed looking like the picture, I would be pretty terrified.
I'd be a magical ghost. I'm thinking Bollywood. I'd wear a floaty white sari and I would look fabulous. Everyone would want me to haunt them, because I'd be like a scary wave of amazingness.


Maybe ghosts don't always have to look so scary. Chanel's Paris Bombay show is pretty Indian and awesome, so I considered giving an example from that... but I thought I'd go for an actual sari.

This one would be pretty cool (minus the extravagant hair) because it's transparent. And no, I don't mean that in a slutty way. But you're supposed to see through ghosts right? The model looks so elegant, she's a positive ghost, and that gives me peace of mind for a few minutes. I'm not saying dress up in a sari for Halloween, this would be both costly and impractical, but it would be cool to think outside the box like this when it comes to sorting out your costume.

Right now, there are two main ways to categorise True Halloween Supporters. The scarily dressed, and the sluttily dressed. But what about the elegantly/glamorously dressed? That should be a better known option. The sluttily dressed sometimes manage it, because short cuts can def be glamorous. If you think about it, Halloween is a Fashion holiday to some extent, as well as a religious one etc. For pretty much everyone, the main act of Halloween is to dress up- unless you're a pumpkin grower.

There should be like a big Halloween party with everyone who wants this. And there could be designers etc.  and people who work in the industry. The designers could create their own mini collections of Haute Couture Halloween. I think that would be so cool. We could get a runway down the length of the venue and models could display them. Canapes, wine, photographers.. Totally professional. Halloween has the potential to be so glamorous. More people should take advantage of that (unless you don't want to). And everyone would dress up of course.

Bit of inspiration for you, my dear reader:

Devil: Has to be sexy.. the devil is the definition of evil... so no red floaty dresses. Think black louboutins (or equivalent) and maybe something like this: http://images.asos-media.com/inv/media/7/7/6/4/2194677/red/image1xl.jpg I would say this dress is more glam than slutty. If you disagree go for something longer.. http://media.topshop.com/wcsstore/TopShop/images/catalog/62N19BRED_large.jpg That's pretty hot too. Dress as crimson as you can :) It's not plain, it's a statement.
Witch: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpfUbd16k9L7J8NWjoZTcXzB4JNSuV0gOSMGZhWBCS87cjBvuQQjuIMINwDoCnLR5DC7qHRwFJTjk3X91F_EE0ls07qkwrLg4r5UJsZT-P7cT7rQ0WGY3rPwTQVddUub836mgmiEV3kQ8/s1600/Elie+Saab+Fall_Winter+2012-2013+Collection+2.jpg Any of the top ones tbh, couldn't choose just one because Elie Saab is amazing and everything is magical in Elie Saab land.
Ghost: (Above)
Sea witch: I saw this dress and have now decided that sea witch is a popular look. Very seaweed-esque. Make sure you're tall/ wearing heels if you're gonna go for a dress like this. http://media.missselfridge.com/wcsstore/MissSelfridge/images/catalog/18E11KBLK_large.jpg

I hope you have a fabulous Wednesday night!

Charlie's Angels Apparel! (and film)

Angels are like diamonds. They can't be made, you have to find them. Each one is unique.

'I work for myself'' 'Well, your boss sucks'

I've been inspired. I just watched Charlies Angels: Full Throttle and I was so amazed by what they wore, that I just had to share it. Their outfits were SO COOL. This is more of a pictures post, than a written post. I'll write a little bit though :)

I think during the film they've used the classic approach to good and evil. One of the bad characters, Madison (played by Demi Moore) tends to be in Black while the 3 main girls (Alex, Natalie, Dylan) are in white or wearing colourful clothes. Having said this, in the last fighting scene the Protagonists are in black too, which is interesting. Perhaps it is because of the fact that Madison was once an angel (good), but then turned bad- and it is suggesting the the current Angels also have that power.

Natalie definitely has the more all-american girly- girl look. Perhaps not the most practical one when it comes to.. well doing her job.

Dylan is more vintage. She is the most 'streetwise' and rebellious of the three, so wears strong colours such as bright orange in that crazy motorbike scene.

Alex tends to look the most sophisticated out of the three. She wears tight fitting clothes to make her more agile, presumably, and a lot of red and black. She manages to pull it off in a non-evil way. Maybe it's because she smiles a lot!

Costume Designer: Joseph G Aulisi

I really wanted a slideshow of all the pics but Google plus has gone really weird.. So I made a collage. Took me ages. Longer than I expected.

Do a little dance? 

Make a little love. 

Get down tonight.

Videos!

I was gonna call this post "The Ghana Fashion Week Diaries! Day.. oh wait." but it isn't quite as snappy as the one above.
No GFW3! Apparently the third day was a roundup of all the designers etc., so nothing new. Here is a video summing up the collections on the first day:



I enjoyed the music a lot when I watched this. Here is the link to the second day video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYDf4bC3_Z4

Also, unless for some reason, you aren't a friends fan, check this out. I didn't know whether to put this on here.. but it is my blog. And it is my favourite ever scene of friends. And it is fashion related. I can envision myself being the exactly like Monica in this video when it comes to my wedding, even though sometimes in my normal day-to-day life, I can be exactly how Rachel is..

 
Very soon, I will have something more interesting to say, I promise. xxxxx