Nothing beats that smug, joyous feeling of ordering something online and it turning out to be a most perfect purchase and excellent addition to your wardrobe.
My most recent success story has been that of this Missguided Floral Detail Velvet Bodycon Dress, certainly a scene stealing number and a potential christmas party dress contender.
High necked and velvet with floral embellishments and a sultry black and red colour palette, this dress is very on-trend this season and proves that you don’t need to show off some skin to be sexy.
Comfortable and true to size, I would definitely recommend this dress to others and have come up with a few ways in which I plan to style it.
More of a smart/casual look, this all black outfit is far from boring, playing around with textures from the velvet dress itself to the fishnet tights and the leather from the boots and jacket. Comfy and slightly “edgy”, this look remains very on trend and should be easy to replicate, incorporating fall/winter wardrobe pieces such as the ankle boots and leather jacket.
Black Elsy Faux Leather Biker Jacket, Miss Selfridge, £49
Sporty Fishnet tights, Topshop, £6.50
MINT pointed ankle boots, Topshop, £79
Gold Hoops, Primark, £2
Look 2 is definitely more glamorous and sexy, thanks to the deep red lipstick and slinky sandals (still very much in and seen on the feet of various supermodels). The ear cuffs are the perfect accessory for this look, by adding a touch of metallic toughness to the look whilst similarly being not too fussy to distract from the dress.
Another reason to LOVE this dress is its subtle reference to Dolce and Gabbana’s Fall 2016 ready to wear show, which featured velvet embellished dresses and a fair few flower adornments. A very fun and playful take on fashion, this again proves how relevant and fashionable this Missguided dress is this season.
This shoesday I’m coveting a gorgeous pair of Valentino treasures and making a much needed trip to high street store MANGO for some similar shoes on sale…
Seen on the likes of super-blogger Jules Sarinana and equally gorgeous in black, nude or duck-egg blue, these Valentino rockstud shoes have been doing the rounds on Instagram and the blogger-sphere for the best part of a year.
Part rock chick, part dainty, Valentino has created a shoe that speaks to women of both styles. This shoe can arguably be called trans-seasonal too, working well with ripped skinny jeans in winter and being the statement of any summer outfit with a cute midi skirt.
For those with the purse, the original Valentino rockstud beauties can be snapped up from Harrods or Selfridges for a cool £680.
In a more appropriate price range are these MANGO ankle strap heels which bare a striking similarity to the former. Currently on sale, down from £40 to £24.99, you’d be mad not to invest in these heels which you could wear again and again.
Having a slightly smaller heel height than the Valentino’s, these MANGO heels could be worn for work or pleasure with ease and if you’re still stuck for styling options check out Jules Sarinana below.
So it’s a new year and a ‘new start’ again for most of us, with our ridiculous resolutions of extreme diets, pro-athlete workouts and trying to be the next Bree Van de Kamp.
From past experience I am fully aware that my dieting days won’t surpass the 18th and that my gym appearances will similarly dwindle, but there are some goals that you can realistically achieve and feel good about if you dedicate a few hours or so.
If you haven’t guessed it from the picture, I’m talking about a wardrobe detox, where you FINALLY throw that once white shirt…
Depending on the size (and depth!) of your wardrobe, give yourself a good hour looking and ask yourself these things:
1. Anything you haven’t worn in six months +
Be honest with yourself, you’ve avoided it during every ‘I have nothing to wearrrr’ meltdown and it hasn’t seen the light of day since 2013, it’s time to go!
2. The ‘when I loose two stone and can wear this’ dress
So they didn’t have it in your size but it was just so fabulous you couldn’t leave the shop without it. And OF COURSE you’re going to fit into it in a month after you’ve dropped a dress size. Just one of the many things I told myself whilst purchasing those size 8 culottes from Miss Selfridge which I have not tried on since – charity shop time.
3. Those GORGEOUS shoes that you’re hopelessly in love with but haven’t worn since you nearly broke your ankle
They’re black, floral embroidered, six inches high, pointy toed and perfect. They were a dream, until I had to walk for 10 seconds, nearly stacked it twice and had to cling on to two people for support. Sigh – goodbye my loves!
4. SALE ITEMS
‘It was like £4 in the Boxing Day sales 2014! Sure it’s plain, baggy and looks like a pyjama top but I’m definitely going to wear it someday?!’ Who are you convincing? Put it in the charity shop pile.
5. Scarves
My nan has FIVE draws dedicated to them and I feel I’m not so far behind myself. Now don’t get me wrong, scarves keep you warm and can do wonders to an outfit but when they look like they’ve seen better days – it’s time to go!
6. Summer Clothes
If you haven’t got round to it yet then now is your chance! Make some much needed space in your wardrobe by boxing up your summer stuff and sending it to your loft. Trust me you’ll thank yourself for it when you’re rushing around on a cold winter day and need something practical.
And once your wardrobe is looking a little more like the above, be sure to take your clothes to your local charity shop or list your more stylish items on depop for a small but very satisfying sale.
Happy new year everyone and get de-cluttering!
The power of the press has always been predominately in male hands, from its origins with the press barons and the height of the Fleet Street years to our current Murdoch mogul realm.
Sure, representation and coverage of women has grown with the times, but even in the 21st century, women are seen as the “passive, aesthetically pleasing sex”…A reminder we have subconsciously witnessed every day on page three of The Sun until recently.
The No More Page 3 campaign spearheaded since July 2014 has seemingly stopped The Sun (for now!) from printing topless women.
Journalist Works students had the pleasure of meeting Carmel Offord and Stephanie Davies-Arai, key No More Page 3 campaigners, fresh off the back of International Women’s Day, in what proved to be an argument-arousing, “TITillating” talk.
No More Page 3 campaigners: (L) Stephanie Davies-Arai, (R) Carmel Offord.
THE CAMPAIGN
According to campaigner Stephanie Davies- Arai, the problem with the Sun’s Page Three arises from the visibility and ease of obtainment in the public domain.
Being the largest selling national daily newspaper, the Sun is in fact everywhere; from public transport to public places, our workplace and our homes, where unbeknown to some, it can fall into the hands of a curious child.
You’d have to be living under a rock to not realise that soft porn is today easily accessible, from lad mag’s to the internet and even our phones, but this to some degree is a private choice made by the individual to view.
Ms Davies-Arai said: “If a man on the train got out a set of coloured photographs of topless women, put them down on the table in front of him and started looking through them, you’d think that as very odd behaviour and not socially acceptable to do in public, but because it’s in a newspaper we don’t notice this as much.”
Then there’s the image itself, which does nothing to eliminate the stereotype of women as sexual objects, confirming, as Carmel Offord cites it, that men rule the world whilst women decorate it.
Photographed in this “uniform of sex” consisting of stockings and suspenders, breasts exposed, the girl is pouting and giving sexually inviting looks directly at the male reader.
Stephanie Davies-Arai said: “She’s really presenting herself as a blank canvas for his fantasy, in his mind he can do anything he wants to her, she will remain smiling, and then at the end of the day, he puts her in a bin, discards her and gets served a new one the next day.
“To say that cannot and does not have a very deep effect on the Sun reader who buys the paper every day is ridiculous.”
Furthermore, the girls who make the cut are toned and skinny with big boobs, a body shape that only 5% of the national population have but is an ideal presented in a national newspaper.
Ms Offord said: “It’s not surprising that women look at themselves now and say I’m not good enough.”
The campaign was therefore brought about to ban such readily available, derogatory images of women in a national newspaper.
QUESTION TIME
When the floor was thrown open for questions, I’m fairly confident that no-one in the room could have predicted how passionate and long the questioning would go on for.
One student asked how women’s magazines were different in fuelling this lack of body confidence in women, from their use of skinny catwalk models.
Both guest speakers recognised this as an issue in itself, but highlighted that most models seen were not necessarily topless or sexually suggestive in these magazines.
Another budding journalist asked how much male support the campaign received (a quarter of the current signatures are male) whilst another wanted to find out what was next for the campaigners…would they continue to fight?
A resounding yes was the response, with Stephanie Davies-Arai hoping to continue after a much needed break.
WHAT CAN WE AS JOURNALISTS DO TO HELP THIS?
Stereotypes still seem to be the biggest catch 22 of the situation which we as future journalists should look to challenge and expose.
Carmel Offord said: “Don’t put women into boxes, don’t look at the obvious; Are they a mother? Are they a wife? How old are they?
“Build a more interesting picture.”
“Women are more than if they’re married, if they have children, look at their lives. I’m never asked: What is your profession? What brought you into this? That is not asked which I find unbelievable.
“Why would you not ask that?”
Headlines need to be addressed too, in order to eliminate condemning connotations of women. A focus on positivity and female strength is needed to outweigh the weak victim and emotional woman.
WHAT CAN THE PUBLIC DO?
Just DO SOMETHING is the message, call it out when you see sexism in your sights. We need as much support from men as we do from women as a collective.
Stephanie Davies-Arai recalled a lovely example here:
“There was a woman who was walking past a building site, and the builders yelled “get your tits out love” and the bloke walking behind her lifted up his t-shirt”
And it just makes people think oh I wouldn’t say that to him so why am I saying it to her?”
Similarly liking and sharing things on Facebook or Twitter are encouraged and take merely seconds of our time, which all counts toward the bigger picture.
TO CONCLUDE
Monday’s talk was a slight diversion from our usual lectures here, normally featuring a hailed journalist imparting their words of wisdom to a sea of knowledge-hungry trainees.
However, the No More Page 3 campaigners addressed issues of women’s press reputation that are often forgotten, stirring most female students and undoubtedly the male learners too.
Tom Ford has always been my favourite designer when it comes to womenswear… Producing fabulously glamorous, sleek and sexy pieces, show after show, that take your breath away.
He absolutely nails that female empowerment/women boss brief, be it a tailored suit or thigh split dress and confidence is key when wearing one of his designs.
Therefore, it was no surprise that his latest SS15 show attracted such a stellar front row from Miley Cyrus to Sofia Vergara, Reese Witherspoon to Angelica Houston and not forgetting his ongoing muse Julianne Moore.
It’s safe to say they all wowed in their own ways, but the standout stars for me where a surprisingly demure Miley Cyrus, an embellished Olivia Munn, fashion legend Naomi Campbell and the black and green Adonis, Julianne Moore.
Amy Adams and Rita Ora also impressed in their bold, sex appeal suits, with Angelica Houston joining in on the suited and booted fun, showing that style doesn’t necessarily fade with age!
And here lie the rest of the chic crowd, with not one fashion faux pax in sight..
The show itself was a thrilling throwback to the 70s, with suede and fringing a plenty.. Pics to follow!
Award season never fails to grab my aesthetic attention, especially when it comes to celebs rocking a frock on the red carpet!
With the Grammys always being slightly less demure and conservative with its decadent dress code there’s always something to talk about.. who got it right, who took a risk that totally paid off and those who err.. lost their way a little?!
The 2015 Grammy Awards certainly did not disappoint in the fashion stakes and so today I give you Garnet Barnet’s round up of the best and worst dressed stars..
THE GOOD
Rihanna nailed puffball perfection in this straight-from-the-couture-catwalk Giambattista Valli creation, channelling a rarely seen feminine side to her and demanding all eyes on her.. she does it again!
Other notable stars that stood out for me where Jessie J in a sheer and suggestively sexy Ralph and Russo number, Miss Iggy Azaelia in her custom made and fabulously figure flattering Armani Prive dress (less keen on the hair!) and Taylor Swift for her quirky full skirted Elie Saab gown which she paired with some magenta coloured heels for the perfect pop!
The red carpet also saw the return of the glossy diva look from days gone by of Queen Bey, which was a much more welcome look from her recent “edgier” wardrobe choices of late.. credit given to Proenza Schuler for the gown too!
THE BAD
Okay so it may seem like a little strong for labelling these looks as “Bad”.. with “falling short of the mark” probably being a much better description here.
I have generally been fairly appreciative of Kim K’s evolving wardrobe of late and must absolutely admit that her new tousled long bob cut seen here is really gorgeous and suits her down to a T! BUT.. it seems she has slipped back into her old habits with this undoubtedly glorious Jean Paul Gaultier gown just showing a little too much skin.. (cleave and legs?!). Its a bit too dressing gown-esque for my liking and the pocket detailing just makes her look a tad too hippy?…Having said this the dress is not a complete disaster and gold is always a most favourable colour to opt for at an event like this!
The other offender for me is little Miss Ariana Grande whose whole look screams R&B diva of the 2000s…And does she ever wear her hair in anything other than a goody two shoes ponytail? The Versace dress itself is not at fault here, being of a lovely fit and good shape.. but what I’m really asking for here is a bit more variety from the “Problem” songstress.
THE UGLY
Well where do we begin?!.. less Vogue and more fashion rogue! Not Madge’s finest moment.. but let’s give credit where credits due..you can’t fault her figure for her age.. the envy of other 56 year olds the world over!
YET.. its too tight, its too skimpy and not generally appropriate attire for a women of her age! I could to some degree understand if she chose the unusual matador vibe as a stage performance costume.. but to wear it whilst posing on the red carpet too.. no, no, no!
But being no stranger to controversy, Madonna certainly set tongues a wagging again with this attire and brings her back into the limelight just in time for a new album plug presumably?! Doubt shes losing sleep over it!
What was your favourite dress of the do? Miss anyone off? x
So today’s post is being sent out to you direct from a gig which inspired me for today’s Menswear Monday…
Garnet Barnet’s guide to gig attire!
For this I came up with a simple combination of jeans + patterned tee + hoodie + boots.. Comfortable yet cool with you being able to chuck the hoodie on/off or tie round your waist accordingly!
And here are a few outfit inspirations id like to share with you..
Nothing like keeping it simple and stylish!
On that note I leave you, with my attention now being diverted back to the anticipated arrival of a certain Paolo Nutini!
So today’s post is all about getting back in the game(!) in the style stakes!
I must admit I’ve always been a bit scared of dabbling into the sports luxe trend, how can you make sportswear look chic without looking like you’re hitting the gym?!..
That’s why I’m delving into the trend slowly with a baseball cap from Fanatics(THE place for American baseball caps!), deciding on this Yankee cap as my centrepiece for my sports chic look…
New York Yankees New Era Jeter 2 Flawless 9FIFTY Adjustable Hat -Gray/Navy Blue $27.95 (click image for link)
From their vast range of team merchandise, I decided on the iconic Yankee cap for my love affair with all things New York (rather than my lack of knowledge on American baseball teams) and for the navy/grey colour scheme which seems super sophisticated!
…And I’d style it up accordingly.. A simple grey jersey cami with a black pencil skirt and a green and navy checked shirt tied round the waist. Not forgetting a pair of heels to give it that ‘luxe’ label!
What do we think? Game ready? I’d love to know how you’d style it up sporty.. And be sure to check out Fanatics for some inspiration x
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana’s Recent SS15 Milan fashion show has been at the forefront of my mind since I saw pictures of the show bombarding Instagram and my twitter feed! Continuing their focus on bejewelled, lace, floral pieces of before, the whole collection had a sexy Spanish matador theme which was deliciously dramatic.. Just check out the finale…
GARNET BARNET 