STYLE // CONTEMPLATING STYLE

It's a funny thing, being able to wear whatever the hell I want to work each day. In most ways, it's completely liberating and amazing - yet staring at my overwhelmingly eclectic wardrobe each morning can be quite daunting.

I had a very definite 'work wardrobe' at my old job. Lots of black, white, navy and grey mixed in with as much colour and print as I could get away with, usually in the form of a stripe. There were elements of this work wardrobe that had crept over from my regular clothes - pinafore dresses, striped T-shirts, shirt dresses - but I certainly felt restrained, and found that there was a vast amount of my wardrobe that was not at all appropriate.

My new office is awesome. It's bright and light, with huge windows and wooden floors. We have a hot pink raffia parasol by the 'meeting table', there's plants all over the place, and if you feel a sneeze coming, you head straight to tissue cottage. I don't want to induce jealousy - but I'm also surrounded by beautiful vintage-inspired printed dresses, day-in day-out. 

As you may have gathered, there are no restrictions when it comes to what we can and can't wear. I could probably wear my pajamas to work and get away with it. This means that I can wear that sunshine yellow ditsy floral vintage dress that has only been worn on holidays for the past five years. Or my most vibrantly patterned skirts. Or, if I'm feeling lazy, my favourite jeans and old stripy tops. Anything goes.

It makes dressing in the morning both more exciting and more challenging. So,I'm looking to the ladies of my favourite social channel for inspiration. These are the gals I turn to when I'm wondering how to dress down whilst maintaining a stylish demeanor. Or when I want to try out a refreshing new colour palette. When I'm wondering what I can layer under my numerous pinafores for a bit of a change. If I'm unsure how to give that cutesy vintage dress a bit of an edge. I'm a completely eclectic dresser - one day I'm head-to-toe vintage, the next I'm channeling Nordic vibes; sometimes I love crazy prints and bold colours, other times I just want to strip everything back to natural fabrics and gingham or stripes are the only prints I can think about. This mix of well-rounded girls really reflect all of the different aesthetics that inspire me.

Who do you look to for inspiration?

7 Wonders - August

1. Have you ever wondered how to make ice-cream? Or invented your own weird and wonderful flavours? A Beautiful Mess this week posted their own rhubarb and blueberry recipes.

2. This out-take from the Charlotte Free for Complot campaign is DIVINE. I need to buy dozens of flowers and re-create this shot.

3. Mariell takes fabulous photographs of her every day life. This shot combines several fantastic elements - Kew Gardens (I need to visit Kew Gardens next time I am in London), the gorgeous lighting that Mariell is good at capturing and the amazing outfit her friend is wearing. That primary coloured printed skirt is PERFECTION.

4. Why aren't there any amazing tiled walls in Manchester? I keep coming across beautiful tiled walls like in this Kinga Burza photograph. They make for incredible back-drops for portraits.

 5. Natalie's outfits keep on getting better and better. Her effortless fusion of bohemian/rock chic/off-duty-model style is currently providing me with endless inspiration. The girl takes awesome photos too!

6. Shini's Fabergé egg nails are RIDICULOUSLY good. She provided a 'how to' guide on her blog. The perfect way to tap into next season's Oriental trend.

7. I've been following the progression of the Rookie roadtrip on various Instagram feeds. These first few photos taken by Petra Collins for Urban Outfitters are stunning! 

Get £15 off when you spend over £100 on the Urban Outfitters website before August 12th by clicking the link below and using code UK15

Russian Dolls

I have raved about Russian socialite/model/superamazingfashiondesigner Ulyana Sergeenko before. Along with Vika Gazinskaya, Miroslava Suma and Elena Perminova, Ulyana is part of the breathe of fresh air currently revitalising the fashion scene, that I like to think of collectively as The Russian Dolls.

These awe-inspiring images were taken backstage at Ulyana's Spring/Summer 2012 show. A show filled with the staple pieces that we are beginning to expect and delight at - head scarves, nipped-in waists, full pouffy skirts.

If money was no object, I know what I would be wearing come Spring.

Ulyana Sergeenko Fall 2011

Perfection. That one word alone could describe what goes through my head when I ogle Ulyana Sergeenko's Fall collection. I have long admired the designer -slash - photographers own personal style and wondered where she acquires her outstanding outfits. Now I see that the majority of what she is snapped in appears to be her own designs.

It's clear that Sergeenko's inspiration is borne from her native country. Full, floor-length skirts with miniscule waists and endearing headscarves instantly evoke visions of traditional Russian costume. Sheer skin-tight knits are the perfect pairing to transform the look from market place to runway.

Personal highlights are the A-line midi-length skirts (I'll go for the floral), the exquisite 1940s inspired pin curl hair-do's and that red dress.

An Autumnal Floral .........

.... Don't mind if I do!
A midi -length, long-sleeved floral gown is definately on my 'must-hunt-down-after-pay-day' list. I wouldn't mind Jessica Horton's Topshop dreamboat of a dress, if I had a spare £100 knocking around ....

Hanneli photographed by Street Style Aesthetic, Jessica Horton from My Oh My in Grazia magazine, Johanna Fosselius photographed by Altamira

Ashley Olsen: Style Icon Extraordinare

Ashley Olsen is inspiring me endlessly lately. She is fast becoming one of the most exciting and influencial documented dressers. Hair wet from the shower, slicked back behind her ears or pulled tight into a low bun, Ashley's look screams low maintenance and a relaxed attitude to style. The long, loose skirts, oversized jersey and huge sunglasses are all usual Olsen trademarks - but Ashley has taken the boho-chic look associated with the twins and transformed her style into a unique, relaxed way of dressing that is truly her own. Comfy footwear is essential - as is a ludicrously expensive snakeskin bag of her own design. If wearing pattern, the rest of the outfit is kept to a subdued minimalistic style. Length is key - anything from just-below-the-knee to ankle-grazing is ideal. Whether these looks would look as awe-inspiring on us mere mortals is yet to be assessed. But, for now, I will continue to track Ashley's style evolution with an open jaw

Style Like U

The girl's featured on stylelikeu are true individuals when it comes to the way that they dress. More is definately more, with layers of long, languid dresses, socks and staggeringly high sandals, sequinned boleros and glistening jewelery. Why be boring?

scout willis, preetma singh, lizzie brandt, ashley jayne meyers, lindsey thornburg

Five Favourites- June

1. Interesting Colour Combinations

Colour is exciting at the moment. No matter how you wear it - bright pops against a muted background, clashing shades, head to toe hues - Colour is big news in the fashion world. The most initiative colour combinations are those that are daring and bold and defy the obvious. Red and peach. Sea-foam-green and orange. Baby blue and coral. Keep colour to three pieces maximum and pair with simple black, white or tan, to keep yourself from looking like you exploded out of a paint box. Keep hair and make-up simple, save for an eye-poppingly bright lip.

image via capture the castle via the corner shop blog



2. Tales of Endearment

Written by Natalie Joos, this charming blog follows a format which seems to be increasing in popularity - the author photographing her fashionable subjects in the comfort of their own homes and interviewing them in a relaxed manner. 'Tales of' is one of the leaders of it's genre, profiling a mix of America-aboding, uber cool girls in predominately vintage ensembles. Check it out.



3. Analogue holiday snaps

After shooting four rolls of film myself whilst visiting Berlin, I am now trawling the Blogosphere for other peoples holiday photographs. Hilary Boles' dreamy recent images from a vacation in Paris fit the bill perfectly. I am now planning further trips this year where I can further learn to use my camera.


4. Photographs of girls in galleries.

There's just something about a picture of someone looking at a picture that i adore.

Images by Little Miss Lime and Fieldguided




5. Emily Weiss' style

Not only does the girl edit and write a highly successful, pioneering beauty blog, she's also seriously stylish herself. The pale blue Equipment shirt, red ballet pumps, roomy tote bag and palest green nail polish are now all on my ever-expanding Wish List.

Image by The Coveteur for Vogue online

A True Style Icon

I can be endlessly inspired to dress like Alexa Chung or Carey Mulligan or Ashley Olsen but reality is that these girls and their fellow stylish celebs have access to designers that the likes of you and me probably will never have, Sure, we could save up for a dress or handbag or jacket and treasure it more dearly than anything else in our wardrobes; but we will mix and match this item, creating a dozen outfits from the one piece, wearing it three or four times a week. If we were papped by scores of photographers every day, they would soon get bored of seeing us wear the same clothes over and over.
A true style icon is someone more like us. Someone who has those treasured pieces in her wardrobe, that mixes and matches one or two designers items with scores of vintage and the best finds of the high street and creates her own unique style that is based around a core wardrobe of several items she wears weekly.
Someone like Claire Healy, who makes a pale green sweater a must-have piece on my wishlist. Someone like Siri Thorson, who seems to have a never ending enviable supply of beautiful vintage garment. Someone like Erin from the blog Calivintage, who perfectly mixes quirky labels with vintage treasures to create simple, sought-after styling.

Ladies who have been inspiring me lately ...
Claire Healy by Vanessa Jackman, Kate Schelter by Tales of Endearment, Siri Thorson, Cara Dawson by Vanessa Jackman, The Snail and the Cyclops, Erin, Marina Munoz by Tales of Endearment