Fur

Hello!

Today it is exactly three week until I go back to uni and I'm starting to really look forward to it - especially since I got my subjects today and they all rock! I was scared I was going to get all the crap ones becuase they make us sort of rank them in order of preference but there's no guarentee that you won't get all your last choices! I seem to have been very lucky though, if these are permanent! I went shopping today for paper and pens, that's how much I look forward to getting back to uni...

I bought this H&M dress ages ago when I was much skinnier and now it doesn't fit so well but I still kinda like it! The cardigan is from Primark and these Dorothy Perkins flats are in every post right now cos all my other shoes are ruined!

Yesterday my Mum and I went through to Glasgow for the Scottish Homes and Interiors Exhibiton, obviously more her kind of thing than mine but we had good fun! I didn't get my Primark/Urban Outfitters fix though as she refused to park in the city centre...fair enough I suppose but I was still a bit gutted! We headed to Glasgow Fort instead though which was a good enough substitute!

Same stupid shoes, tights from tightsplease, Primark skirt and H&M tee. The little stripey top is from ebay, but unfortunatly due to changing room excitment when a size small dress fitted me it is now ripped! These were my purchases, this black dress which is organic cotton (I don't really care...sort of just stating the facts!) and looks a million times better on than on the hanger!
This gorgeous long cardigan, it's so soft and has the cutest button detail on the sleeves. You can't really see in the picture but it's a pretty dark grey colour, expect to see it in many an outfit post!

So, my beloved grandmother (she's awesome and getting to that point of senility where she sends Christmas crads for birthdays - true story!) has offered me her fur coat as a 21st birthday present. Or rather she offered it to my mother who immediatly said "no" and when my mum told me of this I said "I'll have it!". I like fur, I'm not going to lie and say that I don't because that's the PC thing to do. I personally don't strongly disagree with the ethics of fur, as long as it's not an endagered species. I don't see how it's possible that it's not ethically done these days, like say, the meat industry? Aren't there guidlines that are followed? This is pure opinion and I am fully prepared to be corrected (by research or evidence, not by "don't kill rabbits, they're cute!"). I think that perhaps to object strongly to fur would be rather hypocritical of me - I eat (and enjoy) meat, I use leather products (when I can resist their plastic counterparts!) and in my years of studying biology I've dissected many a (once) living thing. Perhaps there is also a distinction to be made between vintage fur (as in the case of my grandmother's coat) and new fur? I suppose that one may argue that previously fur had served a purpose in keeping out the cold (those pre-central-heating-days) and that if the damage has been done, there is no harm in getting further use from the garment? Or am I simply justifying what PETA call "skinning animals and wearing portions of their remains as ridiculous clothes"?

My mum tells a great anti-fur story. She has two brothers (my uncles) a few years older than her and when she was a kid they had this tiger rug, you know the ones with the heads still on? Fangs and all. Her mean brothers hid in a cupboard cloaked in tiger and jumped out to scare her. To this day she doesn't care for fur, or her siblings!

No doubt you're all familiar with PETA's famous "I'd rather go naked than wear fur" adverts? It's funny that Playboy model and "girlfriend" of The Hef, Holly Madison makes this statement, because personally, I'd rather go naked than wear Playboy merchandise! Other celebrities who are famously anti-fur include Stella McCartney who apparently was enraged when one of her bras was used in an advert for fur chain Hockelys. The full article, including a picture of the offending bra-and-mink-coat advertisment, is here. Stella McCartney is one of the designers PETA list as being entirely fur-free, a list which also includes Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein.

Other designers, such as Fendi, are not fur free in any way! Fendi's Fall collection features fur, as do the collections of many other designers. According to that bottomless pit of knowledge, style.com, when Karl Lagerfeld began designing for Fendi (in 1965!) their mission was to put fur at the forefront of fashion. Some pictures from this season;


Micheal Kors also used fur this season. I'm not usually a huge fan of his designs, I think perhaps they're just a little old for me, but the two below I love! Pencils skirts and nipped in waists with geek glasses - yum! I also like the way fur is used in his collection, in addition to the usual huge coats (which the models wore mafia style, shun the armholes!) there were subtle accents in scarves and collars.

I know that this particular blog post may seem very pro-fur (in actual fact I'm sort of sitting on the fence!) but even I think these things are gross, they have eyes and paws! I don't need my accessories looking back at me, thank you very much!

After writing all that (I mean there was actual research invloved!) I found out yesterday that my Gran wasn't talking of giving my Mum the coat but of leaving it to her after she dies. No fur for me in the near future then!

I'll leave you with the wise words of Carrie Bradshaw, "women are no strangers to faking, we've faked our hair colour, cup size - hell, we've even faked fur".

I'd love to hear your opinions on fur...

Char x

The witching hour

Hello!

This was my outfit last night - girls' night which was long overdue! I hate Saturday nights out though because it is so busy and expensive, we paid £8 each to get in to a bar last night, not even a proper club! Then another £8 for two little drinks! Today I was really paying for last night, my tolerance for alcohol has dwindled in the past year or so, a very sad state of affairs which means that I rarely have more than two or three drinks on a night out. Last night however, I had a full bottle of wine and several VSL (= vodka, soda and lime, the drink of choice for both the fashionsqueah girls!), so I completly deserved to feel rubbish today! My mum's boyfriend picked me up (Sunday dinner at mum's) around lunchtime, when he buzzed the flat I wasn't dressed and I left without brushing my hair or washing my face. That's never happened before, this was the extent of my self-inflicted sickness!

Excuse the odd photography, you may not believe that these were taken before any alcohol had passed my lips but it's true! The boots were bought in New York, the thigh highs are from ebay (my tights were not opaque enough!) the skirt is old Topshop Boutique (purchased three years ago for my 19th birthday!) with a Primark boo tube underneath for dignity. The shirt is my Luella rip-off from H&M, I know I'm a hypocrite but I had to have it! I'm fairly sure my crappy plastic jewellery is from New Look, but it's also really old! I think there was something a bit witchy about thsi outfit, but I quite like it...

Is any one else in love with the Fall collection from Just Cavalli? Those little flamingo tights = love! I wish I could own them, but I'm sure that if I did I'd rip them! Roberto Cavalli's "rules of sexy" were in this month's Glamour, they were rather generic, "be true to yourself" and "dress for your shape" etc...still, great collection!

Char x

Vanity Fair

Hey there!

I had forgotten to mention that I saw the Vanity Fair Portraits collection last week at the Queen Street Gallery in Edinburgh. I'd definatly recommend checking it out if you get the chance, although it has finished it's stay in London and, after Edinburgh, it is only visiting Canberra and LA. For such a landmark collection I don't understand why it's visits are so limited! The collection is split into "The Jazz Age", which showcases the beginning of Vanity Fair in the 1920's and beyond and "Modern Vanity Fair", which I assume is pretty self-explanatory! The collection features memorable pictures such as a heavily pregnant Demi Moore and Princess Diana. In fact, it has been claimed that the Vanity Fair picture was, in part, responsible for Diana's reputation as "the peoples' princess" as it showed a more relaxed and approachable side to her. It's definatly a beautiful and striking photograph.

This picture of Julia Roberts was one of my favourites (as well as many of the beautiful 1920's ones which I am not able to find, sadly). I like her as an actress and this photo just looks like so much fun!
There's no denying that this picture of Hilary Swank is pretty incredible, her body's like a machine!
I was also struck by this picture of Jean Harlow. Does anyone else see a resemblance between her and Kirsten Dunst?

That was just a few of the images, I didn't want to spoil it by posting anymore! But you can find a lot of them via google images if you want to see more.

I went to New Look today for a friend's birthday present as I know she likes their stuff and I didn't have too much to spend. As usual, I ended up spending as much on myself as on her, for which I feel slightly guilty! There was some surprisingly good stuff in there, including many many pairs of delicious woolen tights in cream, grey and black. Still a bit early for this kind of thing perhaps but there's no harm in being organised. Besides the socks were only a pound! Ribbed for her pleasure. That's probably only funny if you've seen Wayne's World, please tell me you have! I got this pretty ring (it was only £5) but I'm mildly annoyed because, even though I bought the smallest size which was S/M and even though I actually have pretty average-sized fingers, it still falls off!
I also spotted this yummy scarf which very much reminds me of the Luella one available at Urban Outfitters. But it is obviously like a tenth of the price. Methinks it shall be mine on payday. Much as I love the Luella one (though the collection was a slight disapointment online, I've yet to see it in the flesh, with only 8 pieces) it is a bit out of my price range...

New Look top, Luella at Urban Outfitters below.

Has any one else noticed that New Look have started to label their accesories with seasons? Does anyone else find that incredibly pretentious and unnecessary from a high street retailer? Not even a high-end or particularly fashion forward retailer, think All Saints or even Topshop, but in fact a very middle of the road, ordinary shop? Could just be me, but I don't see the point.

I red-circled the offending label for your viewing pleasure. Got to love a bit of amatuer-ish Paint work.

This was today's outfit. The debut of my new H&M tee that wants to be American Apparel so badly that it hurts.

That's my flatmate's room in the background. Mine is way prettier, obvs.
Ancient, battered Topshop shoes, tights from tightsplease, socks from ebay (which I happened to ladder this morning. Great.). Primark skirt, watch a gift from my Dad and H&M top, of course.

Char x

Hoisery whore

This is what A/W '08 looks like from the point of view of a hoisery-holic. I make no apologies for my addiction to legwear, if you are not familiar with said addiction, catch up here, here and here. You know I'm ordering a load of tights next payday. It's nearly Autumn so I'll be able to feel legit buying/wearing opague tights (not that I ever stopped for summer!).

Zan Posen

We Love ColoursZac Posen
We Love Colours
Zac Posen
Jonathan Aston at tightsplease
Betsey Johnson
American Apparel
Betsey Johnson
Jonathan Aston at mytights

Viktor and Rolf

We Love Colours

Zac Posen

Pamela Mann at mytights

Char x

July 15

Hey there!
Wow! A whole week since our last post, can you tell that we're working a lot? Ten days till payday though so all is well. I want to thank everyone who is reading this blog, despite our periodic absences from the blogosphere, and especially those who have been commenting, those little comments make my day! I'm in the process of updating the links list so if you want to be added drop us a little comment...I'm always looking for new blogs to add to my long list of compulsive daily reads! Warning: a lot of text lies before you (feel free to skip to the pictures!).

At work today a guy told me I dress in an "unusual" way, which I found a bit odd because I really do tone it down for work and thought I was (almost) blending in with the sea of black/grey suits and crisp shirts. It was definatly intended in a complimetary way though, and of course I took it as such. When I told him that my work wardrobe was really just a toned-down version of how I dress the rest of the time, he looked shocked and said "How do you normally dress?", I suppose my response summed up my attitude towards clothes, "I'm just not really a jeans and a t-shirt girl". Jeans, yes. I do own (and wear) a good few pairs of jeans (not a lot though, maybe 5 pairs?) and I do own t-shirts, but I don't often wear the two together. Rant over, I just hadn't ever considered before how I'm perceived at work or that the way I dress is particularly crazy...I take small risks with my outfits, but nothing compared to some other bloggers (who I admire immensly). Also, didn't expect compliments today as I forgot to wear a vest top under my white (and unironed!) shirt and had on a yellow bra! Not neon or anything but still not a good look...

I had a pleasant walk home from work today, not least because of my unplanned stop at one of Edinburgh's best known vintage shops, Armstrong's. I know I had mentioned previously my disapointment with Edinburgh's vintage offerings but today I suddenly remembered a pretty lace slip I seen before last month's payday, which had played through my mind for days and which I had sworn I would own at the first opportunity. The fickle fashionista that I am, I forgot all about it once my trip to Glasgow was planned. I was pleasantly surprised that it was still there when I returned today.

My pretty new lace slip and the view from my kitchen window, an attempt to make photos more interesting! After a delicious dinner of baked potato I played around a bit with the slip and came up with a few ways to wear it, turns out to be very versatile...
Worn as a dress, over a black dress - Miss Selfridge, grey tights (in all the photos as I had them on for work) - tightsplease, shoes - vintage via ebay.
As a skirt, top - H&M, tights and shoes as before. Obviously I still had the black dress on underneath, hence the rugby player shoulders!

And finally as a top! I think this is maybe my favourite of the outfits so I may wear it in real life soon...whenever my next day off or fun activity is. Shoes - H&M, skirt - vintage via ebay (I couldn't figure out what to wear this skirt with, until now. Matching vintage with vintage seems so obvious in retrospect) belt - came with another skirt (Primark), bag - thrifted, vest (underneath) - Topshop. Lace is everywhere on the A/W 08 runways so I think I got a good bargain there.

How sweet are my new socks from sox-populi? I was informed by flying saucer of their sale, and there are some pretty awesome socks to be had for anyone who is even nearly as obsessed with leg wear as me! They have some tights too, but I guess that's not their real focus.
With the same grey tights as before, H&M wedges and pink ankle socks from tightsplease.


After all the pretend outfits from earlier, I actually do have a real outfit! Sea and I had a few drinks with some friends on Saturday night and this is what I wore...
Outift details: shoes - New Look, tights - Primark, skirt - Primark, belt - Dorothy perkins, vest - Topshop, shirt - asos, bracelet - gift from lil bruv, pearls - ebay, ballerina necklace - Topshop.
Close up of shirt/necklaces. The weird black stripe is just part of my mirror!

This is another outfit I wore recently, to have dinner with my mum and brother. It was bit rubbish as I just stuck a skirt on over the shirt I'd worn to work that day (which is really baggy and hence unflattering) but I'm showing it because I wore my new legwamers and I didn't think they looked too bad! They look a bit like knee-highs I suppose. I said to my brother that i was bringing legwarmers back and he replied "Yes, I can see that's what you're trying to do.". He's a bit metro and loves clothes nearly as much as I do and is almost as bitchy.

Shirt - H&M (New York!), skirt - Oasis, tights and legwarmers - tightsplease.

I hope the uber long-ness of this post makes up for the haitus!

Char x x x