Author Archives: Jennie Higgins

Musical Style {Style}

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With new artists continuously emerging from all walks of life there is constantly something fresh on the music scene however when an artist comes to the forefront of the public eye, it’s not just their music that makes them famous. It is their personality, their style and of course their fashion.

Fashion and music are inexplicably linked.

This idea is of course, is not a new phenomenon, think back to ‘The Beatles’ and their iconic suits, ‘Kiss’ and their unmistakable face paint, as well as Run DMC and their Adidas. In the case of Run DMC, fashion even influenced their music with the song ‘My Adidas’ which was a result of the group “rockin” their “superstars/shelltoes” with the tongue sticking out and no laces, making a huge impact on both hiphop and future generation styles.

More recently, Lilly Allen started the idea of wearing prom style dresses accompanied by trainers and Oasis set an example which Manchunians especially still emulate to a certain extent, with the casual-smart way of dressing.

Even hair styles are copied, this is seen again with the Oasis style; they are more dated now but even back in the 1980’s the long curls on men were copied from artists such as Brian May from Queen, amongst others.

A lot of these music producing fashion trends emerge and continue to appear for years to come. For example, Run DMC’s style; the fashionable street/sports wear, this is still very obviously apparent within the hip-hop music scene, take a look at Jay-Z or Justin Timberlake, but new versions are constantly evolving as well such as the N-Dubz, ‘Dappy-hat’ is a particularly obvious and surprisingly popular one of these.

An infamous trend which emerged some time ago is the Punk Music scene, which although materialized up to thirty five years ago, remnants of it are still constantly surfacing.

Vivienne Westwood is a prime and noted example of this but these characteristics are seen across the board with even high street stores using qualities of the style. For example tartan dresses and ripped jeans.

Fashion will always be influenced by music, the only question is, whose is your favourite artist?

Rainbow Stripes {Style}

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Stripes have been around for decades but this summer they are hitting the shops hard and in their masses. Whether your guilty pleasure is jackets, shirts, skirts, shorts or trousers, there will be no struggles in finding something suitable within this trend. If you find bold or subtle stripes, bright or muted colours appealing, there is plenty on offer. The best part about this trend is that you can work it into any outfit because if the clothing isn’t your thing, there is even a huge range of accessories readily available.

John Lewis Stripe Shoulder Bag, Plaited Handle

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John Lewis has some nice women’s bags like this women’s fabric bag shoulder bag with plaited handle. £20, John Lewis.

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Paul Smith Strips BagPaul Smith has a stunning range for you gents, plus Paul Smith also has a great range for this look overall with their signature stripe flaunting the style.

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Fendi Nautical Striped Dress

The current stripes have heavy nautical influences encouraging the boundaries between stripe directions to become blurred with some diagonal stripes emerging.

The varied nature of stripes means that every person will be able to find something appropriate and complimentary to them. Those who wish to make a statement might go for a full outfit, more on the girl side with a dress perhaps; Fendi has an interesting and unusual nautical striped shift dress currently available.

If you wanted to be a little more reserved perhaps a scarf would do this trick, LemLem has a nice nazret cotton striped scarf which is available from www.net-a-porter.com, £65.

There are some great trousers and shirts which fit in with this trend, Kitsune has my personal favourite in both these with a decent selection of stripy wear.

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The great thing about stripes is that the garments you buy can be easily layered in to your other favourite trends such as with your shorts or blazers and can be mixed and matched with other easily for a more unique and outgoing look. This fabulous trend can even be carried over into your interiors,  striped wall paper or sofa even striped bedding from Lulu Guinness are all readily available and are there to bring that added extra to your love of fashion.

Blatantly Blazers {Style}

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It is very rare that a garment is guaranteed to complement the wearer but whether it’s an elderly gentleman or a teenage fashionista, the classic tailored blazer is always a timeless piece which works in tandem with most wardrobes. The piece is versatile and timeless.

It is perfect for this time of year as it becomes too warm to wear that winter coat however still not warm enough not to wear any kind of jacket. Be it drinks with the boys or a romantic dinner by candle light, whenever there is the possibility of a slight chill your blazer is a sure fire hit.

The options available are so varied there is a version of the blazer for every taste and style, they range from the very classic tailored men’s suit jacket in plain wool such as Armani’s extensive range www.emporioarmani.com through to the fitted women’s brightly coloured ones.

Some designers stick to simple and classic styles where as others like to push the boundaries and create something spectacular. If you want something with a traditional tailored fit but an unusual fabric choice Paul Smith does a nice range www.paulsmith.co.uk .

For something still very accessible but a bit more interesting, Pauls Boutique have a couple of interesting ones www.pauls-boutique.com

Whether you are wearing rolled up suit trousers with a simple t-shirt or your comfy jeans, your favourite summer day dress or your specially selected wedding guest outfit, or even your festival chic styles, the blazer will complement your style. The modern one or two button emphasise your slim waist, the open v-neck style emphasing you guys wide shoulders.

Depending on how courageous you are feeling you can either stick with the ever flattering and versatile black blazer or you can jump out for the shadows and select something much more out going and obvious. You can either treat yourself to a trip to Savile Row www.savilerowtailor.com for a tailor made blazer or perhaps select something off the shelf; Jack Wills has some interesting ones for men and for women if you fancy something a little more modern. www.jackwills.com .

Non-Gender Bending Fashion {Style}

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Androgyny has always been a popular and recurring trend seen throughout designers work but a trend which is still seemingly slightly taboo, or at the very least not mainstream is cross dressing. When the term cross dressing comes up, immediately thoughts of Eddie Izzard and Boy George somehow appear in our minds. However, a new take on cross dressing is developing and has been doing so for a while but it is not something which is hugely recognised as yet, but it is a useful revolution which is growing throughout men and women alike.

With most retail outlets now stocking both men’s and women’s wear, perhaps it’s time that we took the hint that both genders are equally important not just in general day to day actions but also in our personal wardrobes.

Guys, next time you go into a shop, don’t rush straight through the womenswear sections, slow down and take a look around. There’s certain items you should probably stay well away from… mini skirts and lace blouses are a no go but have a look in the knit wear section or even the denim department. Have you ever tried on a cardigan and thought it didn’t really fit properly or didn’t really do you any favours? Well here’s a possible solution, try on a women’s one, DKNY do some great ones. They are closer fitted and still go to a size which will not leave you feeling like a starched ear wig. The same goes for jeans, granted plenty of them won’t fit nicely, for obvious reasons, but browse the ‘boyfriend fit’ or ‘worker’ jeans sections and you’ll be sure to find something with enough space, Pepe Jeans have an couple of interesting pairs. Shoes prove more of an issue but depending on the shape of your feet, some women’s pumps might even be more comfortable.

Girls, you have the major advantage in this trend. You are pretty much at a no holds barred situation, there’s not many menswear pieces that are out of limits for you, the shoes again are a little more uncomfortable than casual, but everything else is a ‘game on’ situation. It’s extremely easy to work menswear into your daily wardrobe, for starters most garments are now fairly fitted so flatter the female figure as well as the male. And even if you find a t-shirt you love but isn’t fitting you too well, you can always do some simple customising. The simplest is to tie a knot at the waist to squeeze in your waist, mix with rolled up sleeves and you have a good luck, alternatively you could cut the neck open wider and cut a slit in the centre back and tie up so you have a back feature and a nicely fitting top, one of my favourite t-shirt designers is Vivienne Westwood . Jeans are always a good bet, forget boyfriend fit and just steal your  boyfriends, so long as you have an interesting belt to avoid a knickers-on-show situation your always onto a winner.

So the idea is, if you see something you like, try it for size, it might work even if it was not specifically designed for your gender. But, guys and girls the only rule is don’t do head-to-toe opposite sex otherwise you run the risk of looking like a drag queen or drag king, never a good unintentional look.

Inspire beyond fashion; how graduates are shaping fashion {Style}

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June each year is guaranteed to mean one thing, students are finishing university and moving on to bigger and better ventures.

Lisa Shaw's Labrinth

One positive of this is the exploration of the talent which is developing on from study to real world. New talent can inspire and define generations. A fantastic example of this is the work which is produced by fashion graduates on a yearly basis, this work is exhibited at the Graduate Fashion Week which was recently held at London’s Earls Court.

Labyrinth (Inspiration)

The  creations seen here are varied, exciting and completely unique, the work is, in a lot of instances, the first collection produced by a designer who is on the verge of releasing their designs into the public scene. Members of the public, press and highly regarded designers and fashion companies are all present to pick out their favourites and push these to the forefront of the public eye.
One thing that is ultimately inspiring is the way in which designers, graduate and fully established ones, can take inspiration from anything seen in day to day life. Some examples of this are collections seen from Lisa Shaw was inspired by the 1986 film ‘The Labyrinth’, through exploring silhouettes and shapes from the film she recreated them to fit the ready-to-wear market.

JLH (Inspiration)

The JLH collection was inspired predominantly by the urban, hip hop graffiti scene on the Brooklyn Subway, combined with the smart work attire seen on the London Underground, produced a bold and vibrant work style collection.

JLH

This kind of inspiration can be used generally in day-to-day life. Rather than using things you see as inspiration to produce clothing, use it to inspire the way you style your look. In summer, when seeing the abundance of colourful flowers, translate to brightly coloured printed shirts, dresses and skirts. Look at architecture, bridges, buildings, structure and translate to body-con dresses or waist-belts to clinch in that hour glass figure.

Gemma McKay's Inspiration

When taking a sunny stroll (wishful thinking but a girl can dream), down the river or down the sand look to the fluidity of the water and discover flowing fabrics and loose fitting garments which complement this, Gemma McKay’s collection reflects this style.

Gemma McKay

The inspiration doesn’t need to be literal, work with whatever appeals to you and mix it into your own style, if you see something you like think what does that remind me of. Don’t just look to fashion for inspiration, style can be much more of a lifestyle choice. Depending on how brave you are this could even be taken as far as hair cuts or colours, if you see a section of colour this could become a streak in your hair.

If your not the most confident, work with it, wear something tamer but just make it your own, chuck on the favourite shoes and immediately its yours.
Don’t disappear into the crowd, stand out it, forget soft focus and make it your own.

by Jennie Higgins