Indonesia to ban Miniskirt



I read recently that Indonesia's politicians are proposing the Miniskirt be banned in their country due to it encouraging men to rape women. This is, of course, completely outrageous; men should be controlling themselves rather than women being dictated as to what they wear. The Miniskirt is without a doubt, empowering for women to wear, it connotates innocence, fun and cute girlyness and whatever their age, sometimes a woman needs to feel like this! They come in all shapes and forms so that every girl can have a mini they love; mine is a dark blue velvet flared skirt I bought two years ago, what's yours?

Top: American Apparel 's Miniskirts

Middle: Left: Urban Outfitters Leather and Denim Minis Right: Zara pleated Miniskirt

Bottom: Mary Quant, The creator of the Mini

The Beautiful Fall

'FASHION, GENIUS AND GLORIOUS EXCESS IN 1970s PARIS'

Began reading 'The Beautiful Fall' yesterday, a book that entails the fascinating story of Lagerfelds and Saint Laurents friendship/rivalry. Already, the story is magical; set in the era of new found glamour and the rising of fashion, it is this unknown excitement that made the industry so enchanting at the time. Nowadays, we have become so accustomed to a world obsessed with fashion, that perhaps it's more difficult to make an impact; celebrities are up to date with the trends, the highstreet means affordable clothes are never far away and you're spoilt for choice by fashion magazines and, of course blogs. It's like a relationship, at the start, it's all crazy and passion but soon, familiarity may breed contempt - fashion is being thrown at us from every direction. Of course this is really what we want, we want to be in the relationship but it's just lost it's...new appeal. But, when the relationship lasts and we get past the immature fun, what really lies beneath is commitment and our eternal love for fashion.

Top: Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld. Left: Karl Lagerfeld's first collection for Chanel and Right: Yves Saint Laurent's first collection for Dior.

Underwear as Outerwear

Really nice underwear makes us girls feel sexy and confident so how can we channel this into our day-dress so we can feel that way from all our clothes rather than what's just lying beneath them? Very easily, but it's vital that comfort and relaxed are the main targets for the look rather than revealing and risqué so as to avoid feeling self-conscious and inevitably, judgmental comments. In order to achieve this we simply team our key items with knits and baggy joggers as shown so that even a bralet (if you dare) is just no big deal. A slip is the perfect easy alternative to the little black dress and is fitting for almost any evening occasion. The other two outfits also link in with the pastel and sports trends whilst still being completely wearable for those of us who live in the normal world! I will be purchasing the silk runner shorts very very soon. 

All pieces shown from Topshop. 

Casual heels

I wore heels today and it occurred to me, as it always does when I wear them on an occasion where others are not, it's a tough world out there for us heel-lovers, a world filled with scruffy trainers and ugly Ugg boots. I don't have anything against flats but it's just upsetting to see an outfit that would be significantly improved by a good pair of heels. Some girls are too scared to brave the heels whether it be because of standing out too much, the pain or the 'she tries too hard' judgments. But I passionately encourage any woman to wear heels whenever she can; it's empowering, stylish and makes your legs look thinner! how can you say no?! For those of you who are not confident about casual heels, here's how it's done:   

1. Neutral tones - Black and tan are the obvious ways to go, team well with almost any outfit and don't shout out for attention. 

2. Wedges - Or a thick, chunky heel. These are comfy, easy to walk in and have a very laid-back look to them; very 'what? these old things!'

3.  Dress down - Keep the rest of your outfit casual too. Heels look great with a pair of jeans and a baggy tee. 

4. Consistency - On your day- heel debut, people may be in shock because you're wearing *GASP* heels. during. the. day. But after you've worn them a few times, as always it'll be old news and you can continue being chic in peace. 

5. Confidence - Don't doubt the heels. Once they're on, they're on. If all else fails, pretend you're on the catwalk. 

Above: My pick of the casual heels : From left to right: Topshop, Zara, Office, New Look, Office, New Look

To Leopard Print or to not Leopard Print?

Bought these beauties last week. Never been 100% certain about leopard print because of it's tacky roots and over-use; it also always reminds me of Janice from Friends (Chandlers girlfriend). Saying this, print is looking unavoidable this up coming season and thought this would be a quick way to incorporate it into my current wardrobe without making too many adjustments (there will, undoubtedly be a splurge in ridiculous amounts of prints at some point though so keep an eye out) and what better way to do so with a sophisticated slipper rather than a floppy ballet pump. Here, I would like to announce how much I love New Looks shoes, yes they're a little cheap and not the best of quality but when like myself you get easily bored of shoes and want a quick fix at a low cost, there is literally nowhere better. 

Oscars

When I first saw the photos of the dresses, I am sad to say that I was fairly disappointed by the choice of dresses; many were ill-fitting, predictable and well, a bit dull. Needless to say, I managed to find a few I liked as shown above...

Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton : Not a fan of the unnecessary bow on the waistband, however, it fits perfectly and I am proud to see someone dare a 'pop' of colour which undoubtedly, suits her to the bone. Nice dramatic tail and unusual lacey-effect material.
Gywneth Paltrow in Tom Ford : Clean cut, classic and pure and the cape adds a new dimension to the whole red carpet; never done before but not quite sure why... (note to self: must buy cape dress)
Kirsten Wiig in J Mendal : The mesh looks a little cheap when the dress clearly is not but the bodice is beautiful; matches her skin tone perfectly and shows off her tiny waist.
Milla Jovovich in Ellie Saab : Big fan of Ellie Saab, big fan of this dress. 'Glitz' and glam without being over the top. Elegance and 'Hollywood starlet' at it's best. And Milla doesn't look too bad either.
Angelina Jolie in Versace : Would I ever wear this? No, simply because of the ridiculous big... thing at the back which is not really seen. Saying this, it's allover Jolie; velvet, thigh-high split, black and as sexy as it gets. No one else could wear this like Angelina.

What I love about events such as the Oscars is how well the dresses personify their wearer. It proves that yes, fashion does express who we are; this expression may be overused and a little cheesy but I believe it to be true. Some would disagree with this statement but they would be taking it the wrong way. I am not meaning that we should judge a book but perhaps starting to understand what genre the book may be.

Paper Toiles

In preparation for planning a 'Cultural Catwalk' in Nottingham, we're trying to work out what models can actually wear; possibly some paper dresses? These are simply practice ones and we only had an hour but I am impressed: we have here a belted tunic with translucent batwing sleeves. They were inspired by the pieces in the up and coming 'Living In Silk' exhibition which we are promoting.

http://www.dresstheworld.co.uk/nottingham/