Top Five Festival Essentials

Well oh well, it has been a while!

With a work experience placement at Which? magazine, and frantic cramming for my exams, I haven't been able to justify sparing the time for blog posts. However, my exams are officially finished now and I can return to regular posting, hooray!

With the eagerly awaited Summer months and festival season fast approaching, I thought that my first post in two months would bring you my personal top five festival fashion essentials (try saying that three times as fast.)

1. The Parka

This is one not only for fashion, but also practicality and protection. I would definitely say that a parka is the number one essential for festivals, hence retailers never failing to produce "festival parkas" every Spring/Summer. Parkas look effortlessly great thrown over almost anything at a festival, whilst simultaneously protecting you from rain, wind and splatters of beer thrown in crowds.

This Parka from Jack Wills is a little pricey, but it's in a classic Khaki and has a practical design.

2. Funky Sunglasses 



Statement sunglasses at a festival are your best friends! Although it's quite likely that by the end of the weekend your glasses will end up lost or broken, they're still an essential. Sunglasses can cover up last night's smudged mascara and hangover-revealing eyes, whilst also adding the trendy edge to your daytime festival look.

I purchased the pair on the left from Urban Outfitters, but I'm still really drawn to this sunset pink pair by Quay Australia.

3. A Jumpsuit

       

Other than the minor problem of a jumpsuit being impractical when going to the loo, a jumpsuit is a definite festival must. The aim for festival dressing is to echo the '70s, when what is now festival attire was then the day-to-day norm. Therefore, as I've stated in a previous blog post, since a jumpsuit is the piece most affiliated with that era, it would be crazy to forgo one!

4. Glitter

Glitter on your face, glitter in your hair, glitter! Instead of fussing around with make up at a festival, just throw on some glitter to distract the eye. What's more, it'll guarantee that you look super cute and special in all pictures from the weekend. 

5. Toilet roll

While you can't wear this essential (or maybe you can, who am I to rain on your creative parade?) toilet roll will be your main necessity at a festival. You'll find that other campers will beg, barter and exchange rubies for some toilet roll. It becomes a ration, a lifesaver, which is why I couldn't possibly leave it out of my top five. 

Let me know if you agree with my top five, or comment what else you think is equally as essential!  

Social media: a gateway for the inappropriate?

Considering I haven't posted in a while, rest assured that my first post in weeks not being about fashion does have me hanging my head with shame (although we've all seen the trends: a 70s takeover with a giant helping of  suede, denim and free-love movement dressing- think Jenny from Forrest Gump for inspiration.)

However, I do tend to flesh in a few non-fashion posts occasionally, and tonight I felt it was time for another.

Obviously I remember exactly what I was like when I was thirteen years old- it wasn't long ago, I'd be concerned if I didn't- and it's a hilarious contrast from who I am now. I was timid, extremely unsure and most definitely sporting the classic awaiting-puberty-so-I-stop-looking-ten appearance, but we all were! I was horrendous at applying make-up, as most tweens are- "Flicks on eyeliner?! You're kidding!"-  and I was probably on that borderline of finding your own style and still accepting your mum's advice- though I still accept my mum's advice, she's a trendy lady. Most importantly, my social media accounts were only just beginning, and it wasn't a huge part of any of our lives yet.

Most of us had barely had Facebook for that long, and were perhaps starting on Twitter, but the fascination hadn't hit the boom of simultaneously managing Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and Snapchat- to name a few- that the world is now. With an increase in the dedication to social media came a decrease in the average age of those participating. Suddenly, I see that eleven year olds have Facebook, or ten year olds have Instagram, which then lead me to spot a different change.

A girl of say thirteen being exposed to images of young adult women, with entire faces of carefully applied make-up, perfectly styled hair and outfits that are completely acceptable for their age group, will undoubtedly begin to influence said girl. They would forget that they'll receive their time for all of this eventually, and instead begin take enormous effort in perfecting their lip liner, and dressing for an age group that they're not a part of yet. Suddenly, we find that there don't seem to be any thirteen year olds left anymore, as they all magically appear to be around eighteen now. This is where I believe it all gets a little too inappropriate. Said girl, with extraordinary, accelerated-ageing abilities, will start to post selfies on her Instagram, and with her clever sorcery- and the assistance of a good filter- she produces a picture that leaves us questioning whether we've been napping for the past five years. However, the real concern is produced when seventeen or eighteen year old boys, or even older, happen upon this picture and decide to drop it a "like".

It may sound like a minor issue, a trivial issue that isn't concerning, but in reality it really should be. Because she can make herself appear eighteen, does that alter the fact that she is still thirteen? Furthermore, if any kind of relationship there would be illegal then why shouldn't liking her pictures be entirely inappropriate? An eighteen year old male should not have the opportunity to see a thirteen year old girl in anyway but as a younger female.

Eighteen and thirteen are wildly different stages of teenage-hood. These stages involve completely different states of mind, and enormously different concepts are appropriate for the respective age groups. Despite all of this, social media has deemed it acceptable for inappropriate behaviour to occur, as a "like" on Instagram "isn't a big deal!" 

Well I would say it is, and I would urge that whether you're male or female you should be conscientious over what is appropriate behaviour on social media.

Define the Era

With the free-love and counter culture attitude of the 70s influencing current trends, it got me musing: if only one trend could define each decade, which would it be?

50s:

With the billowing, voluminous and ultra feminine full skirt being my piece of choice when thinking of 50s fashion, I dare anyone to claim they do not receive a mental image of Olivia Newton-John in Grease when picturing this era. The aim of 50s dressing for women was to fit the girl next door turns housewife demographic that exploded after the end of World War II; nothing could outline that better than the demure beauty of Sandy being complemented by a respectable full length skirt, that is then contrasted with a super cinched in waist to accentuate femininity. Really the full skirts, which were often worn over nylon petticoats to give volume to the attire, sent out echoes from the 19th century. They mimicked the style of petite, corseted waists followed by metal hoop supported skirts that were modeled by Victorian women a century before them.

60s:

In my opinon, 60s fashion varied outrageously from that of the 50s. Unsurprisingly, the first thought when hearing "60s" is always always of the spectacular mini dresses. The vibrancy of the patterns and the daring length (or lack of) completely transformed the way women were supposed to be seen. Gone was the firm visual of the angelic housewife or high-school sweetheart, to be replaced with thoughts of alluring vixens in flirty dresses. Two women who were to be particularly applauded for their hand in this transformation were the sensational Brigitte Bardot and Twiggy. Twiggy used the mini dress to her advantage in a more subtle way than Bardot, teaming it with her cropped haircut and tiny build to intrigue admirers with this fascinating, pixie-esque appearance. Bardot on the other hand (whom the Bardot top is also credited to, as she advocated the appeal of exposing the shoulders) used the power of the mini dress, teamed with her striking beauty, to completely stun admirers out of equilibrium. Two contrasting approaches to the mini dress, Pixie Vs. Pin up if you like, but both equally effective.

70s:

I like to think of 70s fashion as the lazy days, when everything was just that touch sleepy, a tad bizarre and a lot carefree, which is why my piece of choice for the 70s is the jumpsuit. The jumpsuit shouldn't have been something which made it to the trends, what with first being modeled by those in prison, but spectacularly they were adored and are still appreciated now. A jumpsuit is just that notch more formal than a top and trousers, whilst still giving women the ease to walk, sway and somersault as they please without the restrictions of a tight dress. It pushed the boundaries in a lazy way and it perfectly fits the relaxed nature of 70s culture.

80s:

What a feeling! Let's muse no further than the Flashdance look of the 80s. Leg warmers define this era obviously, but let us not forget the tutus and aerobic crop tops that were most definitely teamed with this fad. I'm going to reveal now that, joint with the 60s, the 80s were my favourite period for fashion (also one of my favourite periods for music) because, well, it looked like such fun! I mean, they got to wear tutus, come on. Again, Olivia Newton-John helped define an era as she got Physical in leg warmers for her 80s music video.

90s:

Finally, we've reached the 90s! I know I've already vocalized my favouritism of 60s and 80s, but 90's fashion does lie extremely close to my heart too, albeit completely at odds with the flirtatious femininity of the 60s. The 90s were all about the grunge, maybe even slightly the grime. The look was always a little unwashed and there was a harder edge, an edge that women had not fully explored or embraced previously, but we can all agree it was very very cool (for lack of a better word.) The leading ladies of the tomboy trend were undoubtedly Kate Moss and Winona Ryder, with Moss' 'wafish' image introducing a phenomenon in the modeling world and thus building the foundations for what was to be known as Heroine chic. Then for Ryder, she influenced my item of choice from the 90s, as I cannot picture 90s fashion without seeing shot after shot of her captured in her wonderfully worn in leather jacket. A leather jacket has the power to toughen up even the unfairly pretty face of Winona, so any woman in a leather jacket should look and feel powerful enough to take on anything.

AC for AG

It happened! Earlier this week Alexa Chung's line for Adriano Goldschmied was launched, and whilst there are obviously a few pieces I would kill to have, I do have a few criticisms.

First of all, I would desperately like to ask whether it is impossible for a celebrity to do a collaboration that does not require selling your home, car and parents to afford purchasing. I already had to face the devastation of Kate Moss' brain-frying price tags in her 2014 collaboration with Topshop, so was further heartbroken as I rapidly had to forget my dreams of owning Alexa's Kety skirt (my most beloved piece from the line.) Of course, I already knew that AG jeans come with a weighty price tag and was not naive enough to believe Alexa's line would be any different, but that doesn't dispel my disappointment that a "cool girl" with a self-proclaimed love for zero fuss, 70s style would offer us a £333.56 denim shirt.

Second of all, shockingly I am not actually as impressed with the majority of her line as I thought I would be. Maybe it's the presentation of the pieces on the AG website (awful by the way; are we supposed to just guess the fit and hope for the best?) but my first impression of the line was unfortunately "Is this it? No this can't be her line..."

Something about the first glance of the webpage just made the word "frump" appear in my brain, and I believe this could be due to The Julie shirt and The Honey top, neither of which I would ever have guessed would have been part of Alexa's "dream denim wardrobe", as she so described the innovation behind her collection.

Don't get me wrong, The Kety skirt is still a dream and truly is the perfect denim skirt; it has exactly the essential measure of 70s charm that we should all include in our lives. However, I just don't feel as strongly attached to any of the other pieces, which is something I did not expect.

If you haven't browsed Alexa's line for yourself yet then click here.

2015 Fashion Horizon

New year, new fashion trends and therefore a (kind of) good excuse to buy new clothes. Personally, I can think of no better activity to waylay those January blues than treating yourself to a new skirt or three.

And what, I hear you asking, does 2015 hold in the way of fashion prospects? Ah, well here are the predictions:

1) As usual with Spring approaching, though it has come rather early this year, denim is back on the scene. However, not just with dungarees this time (I'm fairly relieved; I was tiring of watching pair after pair of dungaree clad girls parade around town) but with classic denim shirts and skirts once more. This early onset of denim fever may be somewhat due to acclaimed 'it' girl of style, Alexa Chung, launching her Alexa Chung for AG denim collection in January 2015. As an evident denim enthusiasm herself, there are high expectations for her line, but I suspect that it will come with a hefty price tag. Therefore, as incredible as the pieces may be, I wouldn't run out and take a sledgehammer on your bank account immediately after the release, as you may have some classic denim pieces hidden in your wardrobe that will mimic the trend just fine.

2) Topshop have predicted a returning infatuation with 70s inspired trends, and I am thrilled! Who doesn't love 70s style? It was the epitome of fun- far more outrageous than anything dared today by the hoards of black and grey wearing teenagers. Topshop have also already begun to sell some of their retro inspired collection, and they're selling fast so I'd hurry!

3) I can feel it in my toes that 2015 will be the year of the shoe. Although there's no solid proof thus far that we will be seeing any radical shoe revolutions in 2015, I can't shake this sneaky feeling that there will be an emphasis on fine footwear this year, that seemed to be forgotten in 2014, where focus on body wear was largely favoured instead. Maybe this feeling is just biased to the fact that I've already got my eyes on two lovely pairs of Zara shoes, but who knows!

          

                                                                         (Left, Zara. Right, Pull&Bear.)


There will evidently be more trends to be discovered for 2015, but for now let's revel in the idea of investing in a new denim skirt or a pair of monochrome moccasins (just me?)

New Year's Peeve

Finding the ideal New Year's Eve outfit is a task that reduces most of us to sweaty-palms and practicing yoga breathing, as we fear having to begin the new year in trackies and a Hard Rock Cafe T-shirt (sadly, I fear this will be me.)

We all get super fussy around this time of year- this looks like something Ozzy Osborne would dress his puppy in, that looks like something your mum would wear to work- until it gets to the point where you're not even looking forward to going out anymore because there's too much stress involved, and honestly, at this point even you don't know what it is you're looking for. If this is your issue every build-up to New Year then why not follow my mantra of the 3 S's: Sequins, Sparkles and Smiles.

• Sequins- 

People tend to shy away from the ferocity of sequin garments (partly due to the snag factor) but if there is ever a time for sequins it is definitely New Year's Eve. For once, don't fret over whether you look like a canape consuming glitter ball as the light bounces off you and draws attention. Instead, embrace the sequiny splendour of literally outshining everyone.

(Left- Oasis
Right- Zara)

• Sparkles- 

The same rules for sequins applies here, more or less. But come on, sparkly outfits are just so magical, and nowhere near as threatening as sequins. I dare any girl to say they don't feel powerful wearing something sparkly or shiny (I know I sound stupid, I also know that I'm right.) 

(Both Topshop)

         

• Smiles-

This isn't a type of outfit I'm afraid, more of a state of mind. It is crucial that you wear something you feel, as well as look, great in on New Year's Eve. How are you supposed to fully celebrate the first moments of a fresh year if you're smiling through the pain of your boob-crushing, soul-destroying dress. Trust me, we can all tell the difference between a genuinely relaxed smile and a grimace-to-get-it-over-with type smile (think Katherine Heigl at the L.A. wedding in 27 Dresses.)

*My internet was down last night, hence the Monday rather than Sunday upload.* 

What is motivation and where can we find it?

Ah, the age old battle between motivation and procrastination, will it ever be solved?

Lack of motivation is a disease most of us suffer from, and despite knowing how much trouble we could be in for not meeting a deadline, the thought of beginning some tasks is just so unbearable that we keep putting it off and putting it off and... DEADLINE!

So how can we prevent ourselves from continuously following this lazy pattern?

I've found that keeping everything in perspective really helps.

First of all, I keep my goal for that particular task at the front of my mind, e.g. "Well if I don't write this English essay I'll have less practice for the exam, and then I'll get a worse grade, so then I won't get into the uni of my choice." So you realise you better write that essay.

The second step I use to keep everything in perspective is list-making. I'm a list fanatic; I'll write a list for anything at most given opportunities (presents, people, stationary shopping, etc. etc.) and I genuinely find it extremely helpful. If I have everything I need to do listed out neatly in front of me I know exactly how much there is, and then can work out how long it could take me. Furthermore, list-making also ensures that nothing is forgotten and makes it very satisfying when you get to cross something off, knowing that you've completed it.

Which leads me nicely to my third motivator; the satisfaction. I always keep in mind that once I've completed a task I'll feel relieved and proud of myself for knuckling down to do my work, and then I won't feel so guilty when I relax and watch Tangled for the 1248th time afterwards.

In a generation with 201 distractions, we need to be careful that we keep our motivation and productivity high, or we have no hope in being a generation that can make brilliant changes in the world. I always remember my older brother being highly motivated at my age (leaps and bounds more motivated than I) and I credit that mostly to Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr etc. not being a part of his generation.

This is why I will still advocate the classic "ridding yourself from distractions" to stay motivated, but for me it is closely followed by just keeping things in perspective. 

Let me know how you stay motivated (I could use the extra tips too!)

It's Easy Being Green

Ordinarily, green isn't everyone's go-to colour. This reluctance is probably formed from images of sludgy pea soup coming to mind at the mere mention of the word green, or fearing doing a Georgia Nicholson and dressing like a party-going olive.

Even I've had my reservations in the past, but this season, as I've found my hand snatching up several green items in a row on various shopping trips, I've had to surrender to the green monster.

In particular, I've accepted that velvet and corduroy fabrics and green just belong together. The dreamy, distinguishable textures of those fabrics mixed with rich, mossy greens are a completely romantic pair that remind us all of fresh air and midnight walks. That's not to say any of us should go overboard and get ourselves kitted out in an entirely green outfit, one that'll make us look like we've hopped right out of a salad bowl, but instead I'm suggesting that layering dark greens with other patterns or colours this season could be a whole new kind of flattering.

Take this bottle green overall dress I purchased from Zara as an example. The model has been dressed with a light blue and white polka-dotted blouse under the overalls, not a likely pair but nonetheless this outfit is fun, season appropriate and flattering.

And I don't seem to be the only one who has the green feeling this Autumn, as Her Majesty Anna Wintour of American Vogue stepped out in a glorious leaf covered creation, for the 2014 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Awards, and didn't she look as decadent as ever!

Photographed with Stella McCartney.

Don't or Can't?

Every single one of us has faced one of those "Eureka!" moments, when something that has us completely worked up pushes us over the edge and we think, "You know what? Whatever, I don't care anymore."

But that's never what we really mean, is it?

We can attempt to fool ourselves into believing we don't care anymore, but what we honestly mean is that we can't care anymore. The act of caring has thoroughly exhausted our minds, to the point where our determination kicks back into an armchair and soothes itself without an episode of Friends and a bag of cookies, and instead of acknowledging that we're still bothered by problem X, we slap on an "Oh well!"

Is this healthy or realistic? No.

If problem X still frustrates you to think about, you still care. Therefore, instead of either eradicating or coming to a conclusion over the problem, you've just buried it for the time being, leaving a door for it to creep back up on you, and force you to shamefully realise that your eureka moment wasn't so eureka after all.

I'm 200% guilty of the hot-headed, heat of the moment "I don't care anymore!" In fact, if it was an Olympic sport I'd win a gold medal at it. But recently I've realised that it just doesn't work for me; I do care, it does matter.

So what do I do instead now?

I work even harder to resolve the problem. Once it's reached that crushing stage where you're so wound up that you know you can't keep caring anymore, it means the problem must go. I know it is never that easy, but if you invest yourself enough into anything there is always a loophole, and don't feel that it would be weak to find support from those around you too.

As long as you're able to acknowledge whether you don't care anymore or whether you can't care anymore, you will be able to find your solution. 

Meshmerising

Let's give a nod to the nineties with the return of fishnet, gauze and shimmer!

I've never really been fishnet's biggest fan, spending many years believing that it belongs solely to the punk variety, and I still strongly believe that fishnet tights and finger-less gloves do belong chained away in that category. However, much like England's relationship with Scotland at the moment, I may be willing to make a change in attitude on fishnet as a whole. This change came about under the influence of one of my pal's latest purchases; it was a totally wacky, totally brilliant, fishnet top from Urban Outfitters. The material is, at first glance, of a metallic blue, but under various lights the colour of the top can appear purple, green or even a tinge silver. I was incredibly impressed by my friend's find (and actually rather peeved I didn't find it myself.) Nonetheless, she managed to change my feelings towards fishnet, leading me to go on a man-hunt for a gauzey beauty of my own.

I discovered that most regular high-street shops didn't tend to stock the type of top I was after, not surprising as they are rather vintage looking, so I knew I had to look in the more obscure places, such as eBay or ASOS Marketplace (NOT to be confused with ASOS; ASOS Marketplace is all secondhand.) I finally managed to find one or two that had the right nineties vibe that I was after and, as there's always the risk with ASOS Marketplace of someone else purchasing your one of a kind item, I didn't hesitate to order. Fingers crossed that this won't be one of those times where clever lighting and pretty models completely transform a piece of clothing!

So if you're brave unleash your inner Cyndi Lauper and step out in a mesh creation (mind you, I would still steer clear of the finger-less gloves...)



Left: Urban Outfitters top
Right: ASOS Marketplace top