Love at First Sight?

Don Draper - A Man Who Knows How To Wear A Suit

So, I saw an advert for the online dating service e-harmony today on the TV. Listening to their claims that lonely singletons can be matched to their soul mate based on categories such as "character, intellect and values", it started me wondering why they wouldn't include dress sense as a category.

Speaking as someone who would quite happily reject a guy based solely on his wearing of brown shoes with a black belt, I insist on a boyfriend who cares enough about what he wears to value my opinion and dress himself well. At a basic level, he needs to never wear the following items of male apparel:

• Tshirts with either naked women or swear words
• Baggy jeans beyond the age of 14
• As above, non matching shoes and belt
• Rugby shirts if you're not actually attending a rugby match
• As above, ditto football shirts
• Too much colour (This is completely prejudiced I know and some guys need colour in their life, but not too much because they start to look like a children's TV presenter)

This isn't an exhaustive list, feel free to add your own pet peeves in the comments.

My own theory is that if you don't have the same attitude to fashion and dress sense as your partner, it's not a basis for lasting happiness and shared shopping trips with his credit card.

Now, I don't want to be embarrassed to be seen with my significant other. If he was a keeper and perfect other than this fairly significant flaw (millionaire, handsome, bakes, enjoys West Wing marathons and owns an outstanding music collection), I'd have to perform a makeover and ensure I had a veto over any outfit to be worn at jointly attended functions.

Final thought, any man can be improved with a good suit.

Rx

One does have style..

We also all know that fashion is about taking something old, re-inventing it and making it new. But did we all know that HRH Queen Elizabeth used to have style? Imagine my suprise as I read a recent article in The Guardian, on good old Lizzie's fashion moments and actually found myself liking them! Perhaps it is just me, but when thinking of the royals and style only one name emerges and it isn't the Queen. Looking at the archived photos of her trips and various outfits I realised that almost every peice of clothing (all designer, of course) would not be out of place on the fashion catwalks of this summer.

Lace dresses, retro two-peices, deep, plush colours and lots and lots of velvet and not a wellie in sight! Well.. almost. One does need wellies for taking out ones corgies. Perhaps in the future head scarfs and Barbour jackets will be considered de jour. Watch this space..

Ax

Chanel No 5 Advert

The new Chanel No 5 advert starring Audrey Tautou was directed by Jean Pierre Jeunet of Amelia fame (though I personally love Delicatessen). It has this fantastically dreamy, romantic mood and needless to say the styling is spot on. Well it is for Chanel after all!

The simple outfits Audrey wears, subtle but perfect makeup, and gorgeous understated curled hair. I want to go on a trip in a sleeper train, wearing Chanel No 5, and meet a dreamy boy. And of course, I want that orangey soft focus lighting.

I loved Audrey Tautou in Coco Avant Chanel, she played Chanel with a steely determination. The scenes where she customises men's clothes, cutting a tie to a shorter length to suit her smaller stature or wearing a black dress in the middle of a ballroom full of garish, brightly coloured gowns. Ah, I loved that film!

Tis the Season

So, the shops are so full of sequins and sparkle that I'd wear sunglasses except for the fact that it would make me look like a WAG or sub-D list celeb trying to draw attention to themselves.
Yes, it's xmas time and we all know what that means - serious thought must be applied to party outfits. Specifically the cherry on top of an outfit, the coat and/or jacket. Living in the frozen north, it's not simply a sartorial decision as not wearing a coat may be feasible for Summer (on the occasional day its not rainy) but in Winter layers are needed. Unless you live in Newcastle...kidding!
On a recent visit to the fast fashion Mecca of Primark, I picked up three different jackets. One dressy, one semi-casual and one that could have been made for Liberace. The dressy one is a fake cinchilla fur in black, with bracelet length sleeves. It's evoking a Bette Davis style, maybe post-makeover in Now, Voyager. Very 1940s, it would have been worn with a skirt suit or a daring evening gown. I'm planning on wearing it with bashed up jeans and a sequin tank top.
The semi-casual I wore out Saturday night, it's also fake fur but more of a monkey fur with short sleeves and cropped length. It's got a lot of volume but I'm digging the silhouette with big shoulders. The Liberace jacket is full on sequins, petrol blue sequins all over a tuxedo style jacket. It makes me feel like a 1970s disco star!
Rx

Student Style.. Or A Lack Of..

It's monday morning, the fire alarm went off at 3am and again at 5am and now you have a 9am lecture. The hot water has been turned off and every mirror in the building smashed. I find this to be the only acceptable excuse for dressing like a tramp at university. I know I may be alone in this, as lets face it, students do have a reputation for being the great unwashed.

I myself, being a student would never leave for a lecture looking like I'd literally got out of bed and rolled around in whatever was lying on my bedroom floor. A look quite often favoured with Agyness Deyn (although substitute the floor for her local charity shop..)

By no means is this the only issue. Some people take dressing to extremes - many a time, I have seen someone turn up to a lecture in heels and a skirt that would make even Katie Price blush.. Okay, lets just face it, I'm a picky moan, who is never happy. But really, whats wrong with a nice pair of jeans and Uggs? Still casual and requires minimal effort, but people won't attempt to put change in your coffee cup..

Ax

To sparkle or not to sparkle?

I wholeheartedly agree on the horrendous X Factor styling! What was with Cheryl Cole's dress? I could see where her stylist was maybe going - structural look with a bit of embellishment - but seriously it just looked like a black dress with two cheap fans stuck on her boobs. Not a winner.
I feel sorry for the contestants, their stylist obviously has less money to play with compared to Cheryl and Dani's two blind mice. Just looking at some of the tat the girls are supposed to carry off, makes me shed a little tear. The boys have a slightly easier time of it as there's only so many ways to mess up a shirt and trousers or tshirt and jeans.
However, I will not allow you to impune Strictly Come Dancing! On that show is a stylist who knows exactly what the brief is and how to achieve it. Long dress or short dress, the main thing is to dip yourself in glue and roll around in sequins and glitter. The whole point of the show is to achieve that drag queen look and glide ever so gracefully across the floor.
Whereas X Factor doesn't know what it's trying to do! Are the contestants mean to be classic, hip, street, grand?! It changes from week to week and nothing looks worse than cramming a person into a certain "look" whilst ignoring their own personal style. Case in point: Rachel. I loved her Rihanna-esque hair cut and the whole vibe she had going on. It was somewhat original and more importantly she didn't look like she was trying too hard. After changing her hair, she just looked bland and the clothes lived down to that. The first week's outfit, the blue and white striped sequin jumper with giant shoulders, was admittedly foul but at least she was different to the other girls and I applaud the stylist for that. Of course, it all went downhill after that and her hair was made more generic.
All in all, X Factor is a veritable sinkhole of bad styling choices and cut price glamour. Whereas Strictly is a swirling cloud of glitter and fun!
Rx

The X Factor.. Oh Dear God.

My sympathies go out to the current head stylist on The X Factor. It must be really hard choosing clothes for a show, watched by 10 million people, when you have lost your vision. What's that? They haven't? Oh.. Apologies but, I could see that being the only reason why the all contestants have been constanly dresses in the most hideous outfits I can possibly imagine. Fact.

I gave the stylist the benefit of the doubt in weeks one and two.. But now my Vogue quite literally burns up on the coffee table, like a vampire in sunlight, when the TV is turned on. Uck. There are literally no words. Well actually, there are; frumpy, unfitted, old, tacky and TOTALLY out of season. Don't get me wrong, I'm not putting down the contestants. They are all very talented. But considering I vote for politicians based on their shoes, it does not bode well for them.

Please, please sort it out. I don't want to have to start watching Strictly Come Dancing..

Ax

Trainers - Decision hastily made.
So, I ordered new trainers today. Black leather Nikes with a large blue tick on the side, very plain and simple. Maybe a smidgen similar to the type you see on Granmothers powerwalking round the shops.
I was considering a pair of Converse or Keds, but all my trainers recently have been either of these brands and a change is as good as a rest. Back in the day I was all about the DC skater shoes but I feel at my relatively advanced age those particular trainers would be a mistake now.
I keep seeing hipster kids wearing Nike hi-tops in brash colours, they look super cool on them but for anyone who despairs of skinny jeans they are a mistake. Maybe in an ironic I-know-they're-played-out way they could work, too cool for school and all that.

Rx

How To Steal A Million - Best Audrey Fashion?

I take your Funny Face watching and raise you a How To Steal A Million. Yeah, Funny Face has the fantastic awesomeness of Fred Astaire. (can't act, can't sing, can dance a little?!) There's also some superb fashion moments, I do love the make over Audrey gets at the start and the oh-so-beat-poet all black outfit of the cafe scene.
But on the other hand, How To Steal... has Peter O'Toole looking devilishly handsome in a tux and an entire masterclass in 60s styling. The asymmetric hair cut! The white bubble helmet and groovy white sunglasses! The outfit to meet Mr O'Toole and entice him to steal the statue - black lace dress complete with huge eyes smothered in glitter behind a black lace pirate mask. Absolute perfection.

Don't get me wrong, I love Funny Face and Breakfast at Tiffany's as much as the next girl. However, How To Steal... is just that little bit cooler, more out there in terms of fashion. Then again, I've never really got the concept of "classic fashion". Whoever wants to blend in and look like everyone else when we could wear masks as evening dress?

This week I watched Funny Face, the classic movie with Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire. I can think of no other woman that embodies both fashion, style, grace and poise. And so she is the perfect woman to mention in our opening blog.

The film follows Jo Stockton (Hepburn) as she is immersed in the wonderful world of fashion - travelling to Paris and (insert cliche here) getting a make-over along the way. Perhaps one of Hepburn's most stylish movies, the costumes all created, of course, by Givenchy. After watching I had no choice but to decide to go as Hepburn for Halloween. Not the typical choice no, but who wants to dress as a witch? Matted hair? No thanks!

Little black dresses? Diamond Tiaras? Skirt suits? Knee length gloves? Ked trainers, even? Oooh everyone loves a little bit of Audrey!

Ax