Childhood nostalgia

We all have childhood nostalgia; some would rather forget theirs, while others want to revisit the ‘easy’ and ‘fun’ days. One of the many attractions of being a child, for many, is the careless attitude you can embrace.  The more fortunate children seem to have no worries and no cares, instead they have intense sessions of fun and don’t have to think of anyone else but themselves. Of course, this is generalising but whether you have childhood nostalgia to remember or forget there’s one ‘person’ everyone wants to keep close to their hearts..Mickey Mouse.

  Disney creates a fantasy, a magical world, which provides children with hopes and dreams. Disney is a world that no one wants to forget, it’s what made many times happy and hopeful. As you grow older, Disney becomes less involved in your life, the magical tales are just stories and remain childhood memories, forming part of your childhood nostalgia. But why should it be that way?

  There’s no age limit to Disney, no expiration date, no rules or regulations saying that you’re too old to believe the magic and believe in fairy tales. It’s the general idea that as you grow older you stop believing. The stories that were once true and so real are now fantasies and made up tales, but they still hold a special place in your heart.  Within Disney there are of course a wide range of characters; you have the Princesses; Belle, Jasmine, Cinderella, Ariel etc, and you have the original character that started the whole Disney craze off – Mickey Mouse.

  Famous for his high pitched, happy tone, this friendly mouse will jog everyone’s childhood memories and take them to a happy place. Which is why, I am so happy to announce that Mickey Mouse arrived at LFW more stylish than ever. I’m not being literal..sorry, I wish I was because Mickey Mouse turning up to LFW in his little red dungarees would be quite the spectacle, (mostly due to the fact he hasn’t changed his outfit for what must be nearly a century.) However, Mickey Mouse is making his fashion comeback and you’re invited!

   Mickey Mouse sweats are all the craze for S/S fashion of 2013, not just inclusive to sweaters but Mickey make a guest appearance on shirts and tops. Sell outs on the high street and hits at LFW catwalk (with the likes of Marc Jacobs giving this mouse the spotlight), MM is certainly one popular little mouse this season!

*

Mickey Mouse at LFW, Marc Jacobs

Celebs like Miley Cyrus certainly release their inner child wearing their Mickey midriff sweater.

*

Why not revisit your childhood with these high street MM prints? Visit our Polyvore page to view!  

Good things come in small packages.

A common conception is that ‘good things come in small packages’ and they certainly do in this case. It was on one of my regular visits to town that I came across this ‘small package’ that would result in my attitude to all 'small packages' changing forever… I’m talking about a bag.

  I like my bags big, they accommodate my many items that I carry around with me on my day to day travels and never get lost. When I realised that Mary Poppins style bags don't actually exist, I knew that my next option was to find a big enough bag for my things to live in. I’m a bag hoarder, in my opinion, you can never have too many bags. A bag needs to do your outfit justice, needs to be practical and needs to serve its obvious purpose of transporting things from one place to the next. With this in mind one bag was obviously not going to be enough, I needed several, and without realizing it I have ended up with a nice, hefty collection of bags. Don’t get me wrong, this collection does not need a whole room to accommodate it but it does snatch a whole draw of my space. This is due to size mostly, the bags are so big they crawl over one another, squashing each other in the process as they try and squeeze and fit their way into this average size drawer space. It’s got to the point where my efforts to try to fit them into this limiting drawer have failed, resulting in an overflowing drawer of several, tennis court sized bags.

   It was one of my 2013, New Year’s resolutions to ‘try something new’ and to ‘give everything a chance’. I am determined to fulfil my resolutions and not cave (like usual) or just pretend that I never made any.  And so, I found myself firstly trying flat shoes (that I blogged about a few days ago in ‘Dancing on stoney pavements’) and now I find myself giving small bags a chance. I was inspired, not only by my flat shoes success but by a particular ‘small’ handbag that I fell in love with.

  To be quite honest I thought that the day would never come. I never quite understood the practicality of small bags, how someone could fit all their stuff inside such a small area of space. My attitude was a bit naïve I now realise, fashion can be limiting and so why did I ever think that a bag shouldn’t be? People who carry around these micromini bags are not making the bag work around them but making themselves work around the bag. They limit their belongings, take it back to the bare essentials; purse, phone, keys. It was whilst in a Topshop store that I realised that I needed to get over my small bag fear and ‘try something new’ and ‘give it a chance’, when I came across the smallest bag I have ever seen in my life.

  Labelled the ‘mini satchel’ it normally wouldn’t have been my first choice of bag because let's be realistic, you can’t fit much more than a purse inside one of these things. However this bag was different, it was unusually small making it cute, petite and not too much of a distraction for any outfit. This bag would also be a statement piece, its petite nature made it eye catching and doll-like. It sparked the realisation that this was a bag that should be worked around, not made to work. It also concluded that I had too much stuff, after all why do I really need to carry around my massive makeup bag, oversized purse, perfume, several magazines and many other random objects? Lastly it made me remember that ‘good things come in small packages’, so why not give it a shot?

My Favourite:

I liked the green mini bag because I wear a lot of green, it would be versatile and perfect for a quick trip out.  

To view this mini bag 

in more colours, go to

Topshop 

London Fashion Week

London fashion week fired up on February 15^th this month, lasting until the 19^th February. I’m always so jealous of the FROW at London Fashion week catwalk shows. London Fashion Week seems to almost arise from nowhere, it’s quite a hushed event but for those in the fashion world it is anything but a secret. The shows showcased the Autumn/Winter 2013-2014 collections during the spread of the week. I tracked the week during the time of the shows and have picked out some of my favourite designers, collections and their pieces.

Just Cavalli – Some common complaints about Fashion Weeks and ‘straight from the catwalk’ designs is that the collections are not ‘wearable.’ Their definition of ‘wearable’ may be that the pieces are too extravagant for everday life because the pieces are obviously wearable but they are also extremely daring. Not in Just Cavalli’s case! Just Cavalli brought an element of ‘wearablility’ to London last week with its designs. They were casual, fun and vibrant. Their patterned designs ranged from the ‘power’ animals such as the ‘tiger’ and ‘snake’ to royal looking Eastern patterns. A fantastic Autumn/Winter collection from Just Cavalli!

Style Tip: To achieve Cavalli’s look this Autunm/Winter season make sure your wardrobe is youthful and colourful! Stick to the richer and warmer colours like bronze, red, purple, brown orange or gold but also mix it with some monochrome!

Fendi – Fendi went tribal this collection from head-toe! Decorated in fur and enriched tribal colours, the collection was colourful and exciting! The designs are courageous and lively whilst not being too intimidating with excellence.

Style Tip: Get out your furry garments this A/W season like Fendi! Keep it bright, fun and young!

Giles – Certainly amongst the more theatrical shows of London Fashion Week! This collection is captivating, contradictory and clever! The collection was captivating with the disturbing element of the show; models’ makeup was dark and emphasised the darker elements of the show, designs complimented the makeup..However, the show was contradictory with a mixture of angelic designs and fallen angel effect. With the colour palette of the designs, Giles ranged from the darker spectrum including deep purples and blacks to rich golden tones with pressed fabric detailing. Finally the collection was clever because this strange concoction of purity and darkness worked!

Style Tip: To get Giles’ A/W 2013-14 look commit to a floor length gown.

MaxMara – This collection was all about block colour and simplicity. Oversized everything but still with ultimate elegance, MaxMara’s collection is casual and to adopt their style would require minimal effort! Forget jewellery, hats, scarfs and all of that extra fuss and detail because MaxMara has hit the catwalk with pure fabric!

Style Tip: With a touch of sheer fabric, some simple stripe patterns here and there and a handful of fur dashed occasionally you have MaxMara’s look this A/W!

Tom Ford – Ford’s collection experimented with Mexican and Native American embroidery for London Fashion Week. His designs are also geometric and include some animal prints such as the leopard and zebra, with a wide range of colours. The clashing element of these designs is eye catching and brave!

Style Tip:  To get Tom Fords look mix patterns and prints – don’t be afraid of the clash!

Topshop Unique – A lively collection with furs, prints, diversity and a wide spectrum of colours. Oversized garments, crop tops and a laid back, casual feeling is the essence of Topshop Unique’s collection.

Style Tip: Be casual yet stylish this A/W.

Gucci – Think aggression, seduction and fire – all of which sum up Gucci’s collection. With a rich metallic sheen to many of Gucci’s A/W garments and a subtle range of colours, the collection was nevertheless lively and full of substance. Gucci’s collection was all about femininity and power. A common trend throughout the designs included the below the knee hemline and an emphasis on the woman’s silhouette and shape.

Style Tips: Keep it fierce and eye catching, remembering that below the knee hemline for your skirts and dresses is vital to obtain a Gucci look!

Vivienne Westwood – Never influenced by current trends, styles or crazes, Westwood creates another magnificent collection based on her impulsive feelings and emotions. The result? A true theatrical array of designs, both captivating and unique in every way.

 Style Tip: Mix it up like Westwood this Autumn and Winter, experiment with layers, patterns, fabrics and textures to achieve the unique and intriguing feel of Westwood’s collections!

Remember those are just a select few of my favourites from London Fashion Week, needless to say I could have mentioned many more equally fantastic, diverse and creative designers and their collections!

 What were your favourite moments from London Fashion Week? What collection are you going to try and adopt the style of the A/W season?

  So I’ve showed you London, now roll on Milan and Paris fashion week! 

Brit Awards

So, the Golden Globe awards came, followed by the SAG Awards and then the Grammys. I had been waiting for what seemed like forever for the Brits to come around and yesterday it finally arrived! I love the Brit awards, (partly because I’m British), but it also has a collection of some of my favourite artists and their outfits! My guess is that most of you tuned in yesterday to watch the Brit Awards including me. I thought that I would dedicate this blog post to highlight some of my favourite outfits from the Brit Awards, including  style tips for each outfit on how you can get their looks!

Brit winner Lana Del Rey wore a Chanel dress paired with Jimmy Choo shoes and a stylish fish tail plait. I love Lana’s look, it’s simplistic but has edge.

Style Tip: To get Lana’s look invest in a shirt style dress and a belt, keep the colour simple and pair it with a fish tail, side plait!

Giving a show stopping performance, Taylor Swift made it clear that she ‘knew he was trouble’ (ehem Harry Styles) but Taylor also knows how to rock an outfit! She wore a statement golden belted, floor kissing Elie Saab dress with a pair of simple but effective open toed heels! Swift accessorized with a ring and a plain bangle emphasising her black colour scheme. To break up the all-black effect Taylor added the belt to introduce some colour and sparkle!

Style Tip: To get Taylor's look invest in a statement belt which you can recycle and use on outfits that need some colour and that extra something!

Jessie J wore a slitted bodice, floor-length Versace dress complimented well with some Jimmy Choo shoes! Accessorising basically with golden hoop earrings and a golden belt, Jessie keeps it simple!

Style Tip: Accessorise like Jessie and don’t overdo your accessories!

Little Mix didn’t go home with any Brit awards but they went home with some awesome outfits. (From Left) Perrie rocked her pastel colours in her cute flared dress paired with some white platforms and a rather interesting floral head piece! Jesy wore a Celeb Boutique dress (sporting the S/S trend of black and white stripes), a clutch bag and some high black platforms. Leigh-Anne wore a pure white gown by Aqua, revealing a little more than the other girls! Gorgeous nevertheless Leigh-Anne looked like a goddess with her simple addition of her thick, golden bangle and hoop earrings. Jade wore a shiny, metallic effect dress by Mary Benson, accessorized with a cute bow and some killer heels.

Style Tip: To get Little Mix’s look experiment with clothes! Be daring and choose outfits which  wouldn’t necessarily be your first choice! Add a splash of colour like Jade, invest in some pastels like Perrie or go ultra girly like Jesy and Leigh-Ann! A Little Mix must have are some super high heels too so make sure that you’ve got your pair!

Rebecca Ferguson looked classy with her beaded floral patterned frock at the Brits this year, with Chocker style sparkly shoes to add glamour to her outfit. Ferguson nailed S/S trend of slits with her thigh-high slit in her dress.

Style Tip: Buy your Chocker style shoes to give your dress some wow-factor from head to toe.

Known for her quirky personality and quirky style, Paloma Faith’s outfit is bound to receive some mixed reactions! Encrusted with different coloured gems and jewels, Paloma uses that as her source of colour in the mist of her nude colour scheme.

Style Tip: If your style is quirky make sure it’s not too in your face, you want your outfits to receive a reaction but not a common one of disgust or horror! Make sure if your using gems and jewels to grab attention that you have a base of one colour throughout. Paloma uses nude colouring but match the colour to your outfit. This will avoid a crazy flash of colour as we walk by someone while still grabbing their attention!

Emeli Sande wore an all black knee-high dress, paired with simple heels and her famous up-do! Emeli has no accessories which I would have liked to see but she does add a hint of colour with her nail varnish.

Style Tip: If you want Emeli’s look adopt a high neck dress, keep to one colour but use nail art as your source of adding colour.

Catherine Jenkins looks like a marble in this beautiful Stella McCartney dress! Paired with some shiny aqua shoes, Catherine brings colour to the Brits as well as style!

Style Tip: No accessorising needed with an outfit like Catherine’s, let the outfit do the talking!

The Guys – a Brit’s special!

I don’t usually include boys' fashion in my blog but seeing as they’re everyone’s favourite teen boy band I thought I’d give them a special cover! One Direction graced the Brits in dashing suits, designers include Alexander McQueen, Topshop, Asos, Burberry and Kurt Geiger – One Direction certainly pulled it off! Their attire varied from smart to casual with Niall wearing some casual grey trainers while Harry, Zayn, Louis and Liam all wore plain shoes.

Justin Timberlake gave a charming performance to match his charming suit! Timberlake’s suit had a sheer shine to it and a lovely looking, friendly owl embroidered on the left hand of his suit!

Tom Daley, you can’t deny that you smiled as this British Olympian made an appearance at the Brits. Voted the Worlds Sexiest Man, Tom Daley wore a classic smart suit for the occasion.

Robbie Williams gave the classical suit a little makeover with his purple colour scheme!

So, what do you think of the Brits outfits this year? What’s your favourite outfit?