Summer Pastels and the Romance Invasion

Big apologies for the lack of blogging but as it was the Chrissy period I went home to Dorset and was busy with relatives and winter walks and the sort. But anyway, hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year and I'm back to bore you with my musings!


I thought I'd start with a vague prediction for spring/summer 2010, or as the comedian Peter Serafinowicz (who I follow on twitter - twitter.com/serafinowicz) would say '2KX' which I quite like, anyway back to the point - after gazing into my crystal ball I have found that pastels are gonna be big. Although don't hold me to that...


Basically from looking at a few high street stores new collections, it looks like pastels - mainly in the pink/beige variety, are going to be the colour of choice for summer, paired with studs again and with lots of florals. This lovely tutu style skirt would be a really good staple to see you through the summer, it's from New Look and can be bought here: http://tinyurl.com/y9cw8sw.

OK - I'm afraid I started this post a while ago (a couple of weeks) and saved it to finish at a later date and so now, since starting this post, I have seen this trend go crazy! It's now in nearly every high street shop and on sites like asos, take a look at some of these pieces from their recent newsletters:

And look in any women's clothes shop and they'll have a section on this trend (well definitely New Look and Topshop anyway).

Also I think I'll have to adjust what I have said previously - it's not a trend prediction for Spring/Summer it's a trend for now! As I speak I'm wearing a pale pink jumper, or 'sweater' if you're American, with a pink and grey floral scarf both from Topshop - thanks to a gift card I got for Christmas from an aunt (though I spent more than was actually on it in the end woops!). You can find them on Topshop's site here: http://tinyurl.com/y9mlm6l (sweater) http://tinyurl.com/ybvw9hy (scarf)

So pastels, pinks, florals and whites are BIG right now - just think romantic, Parisian, spring days and floaty flowers. I did hint on twitter (follow @sheaimstofollow !) that I'd be writing about velvet but that seemed to be a very small trend that just fell by the way-side a month or two ago so the pastel/pink/floral trend has taken my attention instead - maybe velvet was only good for the festive period and now that's over everyone's looking towards spring with lighter fabrics and colours?!

Anyway I'm basically just repeating myself by banging on about pinks and pastels so I'll love you and leave you - hopefully there won't be such a big gap between posts next time...

Elvie xxx

A Little Husky for You

Just a small post because I've found a nice 'Husky' jacket on asos.com after trawling around some websites. I re-ignited my search after a girl walked in wearing one in a lecture today. It made me so smug to know I had written about it as a trend previously and then I was seeing it in reality (not that I think I influenced her - of course she hasn't read this blog - no one has...! )

Anyway, it made me wonder where she had got it from, though it looked a little 'vintage' i.e. maybe from a charity shop or somewhere, as it had a nice plaid lining to it that made it look like a proper husky, horse-rider jacket, so in other words I doubted I'd be able to find one in a high street shop, and I'm far too pathetic to have gone up and asked her where it was from like any confident person would have obviously. However I thought I'd look online to see if any stores had picked up on the trend, and of course only the lovely asos had: http://tinyurl.com/ylaxqw2

There seem to be loads of options for men on their site too - maybe it's more of a male trend?!

Anyway enjoy

Elvie xxx

Tweet Tweet

Just thought I'd say, if anyone in the slightest is reading, you can follow my musings, or ramblings on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sheaimstofollow

Elvie xxx

High Buns and Huskies

Bonsoir web world.

I thought I'd talk about the 'private school girl' look that is always on the peripheral of fashion trends.

It's a tricky thing, because in one way I despise private school girls and really want to slap them sometimes, but actually it's probably just jealousy as ultimately I wish I had gone to private school - doesn't everyone want to, deep down, come from a rich family, go to the best schools and then go to Cambridge or Oxford?? I hate myself for saying it but it's probably true in my case.

So the typical look of a private pupil comes with the same mixed feelings - I think it looks pompous and haughty but really I wish I could pull it off, though that then poses another problem - if I did pull off the look I would be pretending to be something I'm not and putting out a snobby image perhaps... I don't know, I think about these things far too much probably!

Anyway... basically I've noticed a couple of micro-trends that seem to be in this preppy vein: very high buns and husky jackets. 

I've noticed the buns more really, it seems to be the way to wear your hair at the moment and definitely has the 'model' look about it. Basically it's just a simple twisted bun almost right on top of the head but not done too tightly so the hair looks a little loose and has a few wisps of hair flayling (I may have made that word up) around. BUT the bun itself is not a big messy one - it's tight, neat and concise, it's the rest of the hair that can be a bit messy. Again this is just a trend I've noticed on the streets of Landan and not so much on celebs so I can't prove it with celeb power I'm afraid. And also I would take a picture of myself wearing one but it really doesn't suit me because I have a side fringe (a grown out front fringe) which is too short so always falls down and this look only seems to look good with all the hair pulled back into the bun.

Now husky jackets. I only actually recently found out what they were called, but have been noticing these quilted, usually navy, jackets on people at the same time as the bun hairstyle. It seems it's a jacket you can only wear if you are confident in your style because otherwise you'd probably look like you were impersonating the Duchess of Cornwall or some other horsey middle-aged woman (like Jennifer Saunder's character in Jam and Jerusalem - comprendez??) because it is a very strong staple of the privately-educated wadrobe. Once again no celeb pictures but I'll post the best example of one of these jackets on here, though it's not a great one I'm afraid, I've seen much better on girls I've passed on the street, but hey-ho, here we go ^ (see above)

 Also, just thought I'd show you my new boots from River Island that I luh-uh-uve, and were £35 which is reasonable for RI really, and they are flat ankle boots with a bit of studding - what more could you want?! YUM.

Elvie xxx

PS I think things have changed around on here so I can't have the same font colour which is annoying for miss meticulous here, but nevermind...

Jump into warm festive sparkles

Wow it's been a whole two months since my last post - I am slacking. But I have a sort of excuse - I'm back at uni in London so my schedule consists of more than just lie-ins, watching tv and cruising the interweb now - lectures appear somewhere in the midst as well...


Anyway I thought I'd talk about the jumper with embellishment (mostly in the form of sequins) trend that is emerging. I first noticed it a couple of months ago when I saw one in H&M but unfortunately I was only idling some time away until I had to catch a train and didn't have time to try it on and possibly purchase said item - but it was nice anyway, and I regretted not buying it because next time I looked it had already gone and H&M don't sell online either.


Anywho, after this incident I have noticed more and more long, snuggly jumpers (perfect for the nippy weather obv) shrouded in a sequined or some sort of sparkled design, often draping over one shoulder or around the neckline, or in an emblazoned emblem on the front. I can't find any examples of celeb-wearing for this trend really, but I've scoured the shopping sites for some pictures and here we go:





























The left is from asos.com and costs £45 which is a a little steep, but not too bad for a warm jumper that you know will be well made and can also be worn dressed up or down. The right is from dorothyperkins.com and is £10 cheaper than the asos one but maybe not as stylish.


There are loads about in high street shops, so the choice is endless, if only I could have that H&M one though....


Elvie xxx

Slouchy, studded and skinny

Hello all, it's been a while but I am back with a few more trends I'd like to talk about...


Let's start with the slouchy basic tee, which means a loose fitting plain t-shirt - though we are definitely not talking about a massive baggy t-shirt with sleeves down to the elbows here, in a neutral colour (black, grey, white etc), with either a low round or v- neckline and in a thinish material - a slightly see-through look is always good, but as long as the bra you're wearing it with is good too.


Now it's not a show-stopper or a mega trend, but it's just something I've picked up upon lately. Even though it's been around for a long time, it's trend status has only just dawned on me - I know, I apologise for being a little slow on the uptake! Anyway, I feel it is an essential item to own if you are going for the grungy nineties look - it can be worn under an open plaid shirt and a denim (or maybe leather) jacket with skinnies and some boots - preferably the black, doc marten, hard-style type. Or it could be worn tucked into a skirt, either way it exudes that 'I-just-threw-this-on-but-oh-don't-I-look-hot' look that is often very tricky to achieve.


Gals who wear this trend to perfection are the annoyingly and insanely hot type of celebrities, namely Megan Fox and Audrina Patridge (pictured left to right). It probably helps that these ladies have ample bosoms and super-slim arms and waist that make the t-shirts hang so stylishly, but anything that can make me vaguely look like Megan Fox or Audrina Patridge, I am certainly going to try!






















Now onto skinny , studded belts, and more specifically: black skinny belts with gold or silver studs worn with party dresses.


Studs, and the general 'biker/rocker' look emerged last autumn/winter and I wasn't sure it would stay around this long, but I was proved wrong as it seems to have come back with a vengeance at the end of this summer especially in belts and boots. Wearing studs on a skinny belt is an easy way to wear the trend as it gives a plain or floral dress a bit of a harder edge without going overboard with the whole 'rocker' look. Topshop obviously has a great range, and they can be viewed here: http://tinyurl.com/ldu47s and River Island has a couple of nice dresses that come with studded, and black and gold skinny belts, which you can view at: http://xml.riverisland.com/flash/content.php.


This trend is one that I have picked up just from looking at magazines, browsing the high street shops and looking at street fashion. It's not one I have noticed a lot on celebrities, though I'm sure there are many examples of celebs working this trend but I think I would be here for days scouring for photos on the internet seeing as I don't have a particular person or instance to go on, so basically I can't prove its trend status in pictures - you'll just have to take my word for it I'm afraid.


But anyway I'm off to search for that perfect slouchy tee, so I'll love you and leave you...


Elvie xxx

Combat Shoulder

Shoulder pads. So eighties - and therefore, so now. Though the shoulder pads of the noughties coming at us in a slightly different form this time - an upward 'flick' shape has replaced the big square that was so popular in the eighties.


So far I have not invested in this trend - mainly because I think it would be hard to pull off if you're not a superstar actress, singer or model, but also because I'm not sure how long it will hang around. I also feel I'm a little late in talking about this trend - it's less emerging and more current now - but I thought it was still significant enough to warrant a post (and not just because I've been busy and haven't had time to find an emerging trend.....honest).


If you wear this shoulder pad you're going to get noticed - they are not the shy and retiring pads of the simple boyfriend blazer, and that is why I'm not sure about buying into this trend - if I buy now I'm worried the trend will begin to go out and I'll just be the standout weirdo wearing the crazy shoulder pads, and that's not really a look I aim for.


That's definitely the thing about trends - timing is everything. Too early and you can be a freak, too late and you can be a 'so-last-year' sheep, get it just before its peak and you're a trendsetting starlet. I suppose, as everyone will tell you, it's really about having confidence and then you can pull any outfit off, but, unfortunately in my case, I don't have confidence all the time so I have to hide behind fashion trends - I am quite literally a slave to fashion.


Anyway, back to shoulder pads. Of course many celebrities have already pulled this look off effortlessly - Rihanna (who appears to have become my go-to girl for fashion trends already, even though I'm not a big fan of hers) has championed the look, while stars like Sienna Miller have gone for a subtle but effective edge.



































Thanks to justjared.buzznet.com for the pictures - it's a great site for sad people like me who are addicted to celebrity news.


So, until next time...


Elvie xxx