Who says orange is dangerous?

 Why are certain colours considered more dangerous than others? Why are some colours genuinely more dangerous than others? There is no doubt that, in the animal kingdom, certain colours will be a warning. Take the wasp (vile things which should be eliminated, or at least controlled/domesticated because I know they get rid of parasites. One landed on my upper lip today while I was eating outside and it wouldn't go away. I almost cried) which is striped yellow and black, as a warning to potential predators. On the one hand, this is where nature genuinely proves it can highlight danger. On the other hand, this yellow and black striped shell (metaphorically) is also favoured by the generally less foul tempered Bee and those flies you always think are wasps, as a way to trick potential predators.
Above all other colours, I think orange must be a dangerous colour, though we'd often consider black or red more so. By that, I do not mean that that orange can be a risky style choice that doesn't suit everyone, which is true. There is something about Orange that does not entirely feel quite right, something vibrant and eye-catching and unwilling to blend. If you've ever seen a field of Oranges or a house painted orange, you might understand what I mean. It is not mellow but bright like yellow. Or as popular as red. Or a timeless as black

Anyway, today (or rather yesterday, but *shrugs*) I am wearing orange, with black. Yippee! In line with the current fashion for crop tops and a high-waist black skirt.

With this, my lovely (if I do say so myself) union jack heels, orange bag, necklace and orange ribbon.

 

I really wish this were longer and, if I can, I will edit it tonight to make it longer and it should have been longer if I'd been less flippant with time, but this is me literally leaving right now for Carcassonne and I don't think they have internet in that part of France (fine, fine, in the house we're renting) Apparently, with a deep sigh, this is one of the busiest weekends of the year for road traffic... which should be fun.

 

 

Thanks for reading, do comment and please follow.

Back to Black

 

Hello! (Can anyone explain to me why that feels so strange? Why I prefer to say 'Greetings' or 'Salutations' - Maybe I have issues and just need to learn to say it to people more. Well, I'm testing it out here) So here are some photos of what I've been wearing today. I don't know why, but when I got dressed this morning, I did not feel like much colour. I felt like wearing black clothes, clip-on faux diamond earrings and sunglasses and carrying a black umbrella as I trotted through the rain, like a sort of reluctant young widow in stilettos who drinks too much. Or has a reason to hide her identity and doesn't understand the concept of 'blending in'... just like all these celebrities who wear sunglasses in the middle of winter and wonder why people realise they are celebrities. 

 

The outfit was only brightened up by the vibrant red strip of my lips... though prepare yourselves because I think tomorrow might be red. Head-to-toe BRIGHT RED... and I shall probably feel the need to share. Tomorrow, I shall also be in London, in a ploy from my Father to remove me from the Sitting Room where I have been living, consuming an endless supply of Chicken Tikka Masala and Pepsi Max... (He also has to pick a bike up from Kings Cross. Bearing in mind his love of cycling, I think that might have actually been the driving force)

So... What am I wearing?

 

• A Black gauzy tunic-blouse - Thrifted from a Charity Shop.
• Black skirt with golden details and sequins - Vintage.
• Black Pia Handbag - I actually nickname her my 'Jewel' - she was just so glossy and purty-ful when I bought her... and she was half price! If there is one thing that never fails to make me happy it's the words 'Half Price'.
• Iron Fist Girls Platform Heels with polkadot bows and colourful detailing - These are my go-to shoes for dramatic semi-comfort. Because of the platform, the heel does not feel that high and so they're great for walking around in (as long as you're walking through a flat city or town and you intend to stop walking and go home after two or three hours)
• Black Ribbon with white border from an Art supplies shop. Used as a belt you really cannot go wrong.
• £1 earrings from a local shop which sells end of the line accessories.
• Rimmel London Blood Red lipstick.
• Starry red and white bangle, bought for £1 from the same shop as the earrings.
• Radley umbrella - a present from my EPIC Maman. I love it so much... it's light, beautifully shaped and has the loveliest handle. IMPORTANT NOTE: When buying nice umbrellas, handle is key.
• Circular Sunglasses. I have no idea where they are from. You'd have to ask my brother since he is the one whom I stole them from. It's his fault for going on holiday without them and leaving them on the Kitchen Table. #Some people never learn.

 
 

 

 

 

 

I am rather glad that the pictures came out this way... it could have been so much worse bearing in mind I had to pry my Father away from his beloved computer to go out in the rain without being able to hold an umbrella to take pictures of me. I think I may have got what I deserved for putting him through this traumatising experience though. I fear I may have the beginnings of a cold. Ah-choo!

 

 

^^^ Individual shots of my Jewel and my beautiful new umbrella. I should give her a proper name too... Any suggestions?

^^^ Another look into the psychology of MOI... Why can I never resist taking a picture of a tree? Why? Even if there are better pictures of trees and more interesting trees and nobody wants to see my photo of a tree. Why do I take the photo? And why do I feel the need to include it in a post? Well, I always say that if you have an ugly house, you plant trees around it... maybe that works with ugly blog posts.

Thank you for reading, do comment and please follow! (I really want to reach the two hundred mark. :)

Red & Black vs. Pink & Black

Red and Black...

Red and Black, both colours that are wholly present on stars gliding down the red carpet, or Supermodels strutting the catwalk. Together, they can be a look of pure timeless elegance, rock n' roll or Gothic and Punk... it is not going away quickly. After a Summer Catwalk filled with simply scarlet, the Autumn and Winter collections are arrayed in all shades, and looking forward to this Summer's collection... Bejewelled rubies and garnets. Soft Salmons, Crimsons, Corals, Warm Maroons.

Remember, a la 'Jean Paul Gaultier' Autumn/Winter 2011, bright red lips with beautiful blacks are a perfect way to make a statement. Sharp and Sophisticated.

 



This outfit is made up of a black netted tutu skirt (with many underskirts) from warehouse - an essential of my winter/autumn wardrobe because of its flexibility. Gorgeous Shoes, Black Scarf (being used as a belt if you do not see it) Basic Opaque Black Tights and, last but not least, a fancy dress dress I received at Christmas when I was ten; it does not fit me the normal way anymore... Yay Recycling!

So, I would like to think that this has some Hispanic Vibes, 'un element de Fantaisie' and an elegant way to do a strapless. Either way, it was my favourite of the six outfits!

Here's a little culture for you. Red and Black are the key colours in the flags of (among others) Yemen, Albania, Egypt, Iraq - (along with yellow) on the flags of Belgium, Germany, Papua New Guinea and East Timor (along with green) on Jordan, Libya, Kenya, Malawi and Kuwait. Also the simple bisected red and black flag is a symbol of Anarcho-syndicalism and Anarchist Communism. I am certain that most of you probably did not know that.

Okay, so I am not too sure what to call this. I have a bandana around my leg (an old find. It's probably Disneyland Paris thinking about it. I might have bought it along with the cowboy hat and toy pistol that, in my naivety, I thought looked just like a real one) a cool black jacket with gold studs, platform heels with skulls on them and a skateboard. My interpretation of Rock Chick? I only wish that, as well as this very gorgeous skirt, I had a proper red kilt.

Next time I go to Edinburgh, whenever that happens since it currently seems likely to be years in the future, I shall get a really nice one. There was a great shop next to the place I bought my beautifully soft blue Cashmere jumper (on sale!)

A quick note on where these all came from. Jacket, Yumi. Red Top, Cyrillus. Shoes, comment if you wish to know. Skirt, John Lewis. Bandana, Disneyland Paris (probably) Necklace, the end of a pair of red ear phones from a tour bus - they hardly worked anyway, call it recycling. Tights, everywhere. Tinted Aviator Sunglasses, no idea... my sister's bedroom?

 

More Culture... well, I need something to break up the Photos. :S

In Literary terms, 'Le Rouge et le Noir' (The Red and the Black) is a psychological and historical novel in two volumes, written by Stendhal... a bildungsroman of his character, Julien Sorel.

Musically, 'Red and Black' is a song from the Boublil-Schonberg musical Les Miserables (Which is brilliant!)

 

Something a little lounge-singer or gothic about this lovely evening dress. Black Velvetine. Inherited from my Mother (Vintage!) The Shoes were also inherited from somebody else, but this time they were bought in a Charity Shop by my Mother for my Sister. My Sister thought they were 'granny'-ish, such a derogative term, although she later said it was because they were too small, and I adopted them.



Ok, so there are three more outfits that should have been uploaded but due to unforseen circumstances involving my camera being broken by one of two of my unofficial photographers (the boy ones) then borrowing my brother's camera and having incompatibility problems with the memory card thing. *Sigh* I cannot upload them now... but I promise to do so as soon as I can!

Silence in the Library!

Hello! Me again, and this time wearing a beautiful white blouse and eye-popping pink Yves Saint Laurent lipstick... not that you can really tell in the dismally poor Photos. 

This was originally going to be about my five favourite books. Full Stop. Then the voice of reason in my head (not that he is often at home) murmurs quietly, 'Is this not supposed to be a Fashion Blog?'
So, after a little thought, I came up with a better idea. My five favourite fashion-orientated books! The truth is: there are more of them in my life than I could have ever thought. Books about individual designers, Hats, Handbags, Shoes, Japanese Fashion (the one I can not find) Vintage Fashion with sub-categories including books on Art Deco, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s... bref, the list goes on - and it can only grow bigger! I am currently saving up for, among a very wide range of other things, an enormous book on Dior from 'Waterstones'. I am certain it will be worth the cost, considering that I am a huge fan of Dior.

Anywho, let us start the list, counting down to my all time favourite.

5) - Fifty Fashion Designers you should know.

First and foremost, this is not a collection of obscure or niche designers. In fact, it is basic beginner level with all the mainstream designers that everyone really should know, regardless of whether they are interested in fashion or not. These are the movers and shakers, those who created a new way of thinking and looking at Fashion... mostly rather obvious - such as Chanel, Dior, Armani and Versace - with some variety including the greats - Madeleine Vionnet (A favourite of mine) Elsa Schiaparelli (photo above, showing the famous lobster dress based on Salvador Dali's lobster phone) - and even the avant garde (Yohji Yamamoto and Hussein Chalayan) 

Bref, for a first insight into the world of fashion, accompanied by brightly coloured photos and a timeline going from the second half of the 19th century to the present day, you can do no wrong with this number.

Warning: The Book is slightly out of date, 2010, and harking back to happier times when John Galliano was not fired from Dior on anti-semitic charges  and Alexander McQueen had not commited suicide.

4) So, in joint fourth position, 'Manolo Blahnik drawings' and 'Vogue Covers: On Fashion's Front Page' Both of these books are simply rife with glorious images. In the case of the latter, starting with a Vogue Cover from 15th September 1916, it leads us on a whirlwind of colour and a myriad of eclectic designs to finish with a sleek Kate Moss for September 2006. Ninety years between these two Vogue covers and oh, how much life has changed. Not only fashion, but morals and what is socially acceptable, even what is considered beautiful. Included within the pages of this book, a treasure of a cover from early August 1917 depicting a woman in full winter gear spearing to death a polar bear (On a more serious note, I do not in any way support or defend the spearing to death of polar bears or any other animal)  The only reasonable criticism is the overly large amount of Kate Moss Covers; half the amount could have been used to prove the same point.                       In the case of the Manolo Blahnik book, I am afraid that the small size of the book, pocket-sized if anyone is interested, means that I was unable to take a photo of the inside of the book. I hasten to assure you that the book is well worth it, and that the drawings portrayed within are very vibrant and thought-provoking images of shoes.
 

3) Fashion Algebra de Anna Piaggi. This book by the legendary Anna Piaggi (flamboyant Italian fashion writer and style icon, having written for fashion magazines such as Italian Vogue and, in the 1980s, the avant-garde magazine Vanity) is 'The logic of Fantasy and the careful deciphering of all the essential elements of today's style.' and done to brilliant effect, touching on every aspect, every possibility of Fashion in an eclectic and wholly creative way brimming with mischevious wit and years of experience. Let me but assure you that each double page spread is a work of art (and those who have seen some of Anna Piaggi's double page spreads for Italian Vogue will have little trouble believing it)
No aspect has been left untouched and delving into the pages of this book, is like diving into an extravagant and beautiful dream. There is nothing more vibrant; more mind-opening than these pages upon pages of spellbinding designs. This book is a treasure... but I also borrowed it from my School Library.

 

2) 70s Style and Design

- Oh, the Horror of the 70s. The so-called terrible costumes that your parents were photographed in - pastel green jumpsuits with sequins and flares while their hair is curled into a wild submission. Oh yes, not everybody looks back on the clothing of the 70s without embarassment, and even disdain.

However, with the rise of retro, the 70s are experiencing a resurgence of cool, though some people may not believe it - surely going there once was bad enough?
 

 

I am not one of those people.

I have always liked the 70s. The colour, the madness, more freedom of sexuality. An era that united such defining trends as 1920/1930s Art  Deco and 1960s pop movements. An era that saw the rise of Ethnic designs, nudity to sell a large range of products - Levi's Jeans being an example - and a love of the natural.

 
Punk, Avant-Garde, neoclassical and, a favourite of mine, new romantic. Each aspect is explored in detail with quiet respect and sparkling wit.

Androgyny, freedom of sexuality and sexual ambiguity... the cult phenonemon that was 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' and, another favourite of mine, David Bowie.... this book gives so much and even those who are not altogether interested in Fashion could not fail to find this book interesting. Some may be shocked, some may be amused, some may look at certain shoes within the book with a small sigh. Either way, it will not fail to make an impact, if only for the highly vivid images.

 

1) Swinging 60s Fashion Style.

    - 'From elegance to individualistic casual. The 1960s was a cataclysmic period in fashion history. The world underwent significant political and economic upheaval, and so did the world of fashion. Early 1960s fashion had inherited the elegance of the 1950s, where clothing was refined and somewhat conservative. By the middle of the decade, however, the flashy mods and the freedom-loving hippies had emerged and fashion moved in a more hip and cool direction. Fashion in the 1960s was a veritable treasure trove of styles.' - and there is no better book to demonstrate this. Perhaps the contents of the book are minimal if you are looking for facts and information, but the photos inside are bright, colourful and, in their multitude, offer a wide view of fashion in 1960s. From Swimming costumes to suits and hairstyles, every detail tells its own story.  The story of why the 60s is seen the way it is within the world of Fashion.

It is a book that inspires, that gives one a base when looking at the 60s. Starting from the front cover, so enveloped in bubblegum pinks and baby blues that one cannot fail to be reminded of a barbie, or at least of Katy Perry's California Gurls video, and all the way through, crossing tartans, furs and corals in all manner of guises.

A psychedelic mess but a truly enjoyable one, gripping you to each page as you float dream-like through a veritable Aladdin's cave of colours and delightfully Kitsch patterns.

Once again, thank you for reading. Follow me if you like. Comment.

 << A note on the clothes. The Blouse is a beautiful Laura Ashley piece adopted from my Mother (Go recycling!) The Black Scarf is one of those many accessories that I feel like I have had forever though, on second thoughts, have probably had less than a year. The Belt is a lovely light grey/cream affair with a little bow. The skirt is actually my school skirt. Though I was intending to wear a pencil skirt, stolen from a large black binbag of interesting clothes chez my grandmother's, I could not find it so instead opted for my school skirt. The Shoes are beautiful, bought for a third of the original price (£25 down from £75) and, if you would like to know where you can buy them online, you need only leave a comment and I will reply.