I've had it with the formalities. HOW THE HELL ARE YA?!
We all know it's been a while, so I'll spare you the apologies and excuses and just say this; I have no idea what I'm doing with my life right now and I thought I wanted to talk to you about it. But, as I sit here at my kitchen counter, I don't have the words I need to properly use a bunch of strangers as a catharses just yet. So let's talk about something we haven't gabbed about in ages. Something a bit more fun than your average identity crises.
What on earth happened to fashion in my life while I was away? Living in a fashion capital, gallivanting with new international friends, and getting my first taste of working in the industry have all made a dent in the fabric of my personal style. I can think of three reasons for my altered approach to dressing myself in the morning. I will list them for you now.
Influential word number 1: Vintage
Wow, how original of you Emily.
But seriously, my "opposite ends of the spectrum" approach to shopping was definitely honed whilst living amongst the best vintage stores in the world. My purchases either fueled the label whore inside me, came from a charity/vintage shop, or both (I recently fell in love with a vintage sunshine yellow Chanel sweatshirt; drool). Yes, it's more environmentally friendly. Yes, it gives you the confidence in knowing no one else will be dressed exactly like you. But more than anything, the used clothing price tag leaves you without an excuse not to buy something that you wouldn't have the guts to wear if it was full price. Vintage is another story, because if you know London, you know Brick Lane and Camden, and you know what kind of prices to expect. I'm betting stores like Rokit Vintage have at least two pound signs (££) on Google. That's when the whole "I'm going to be a unique, super-cool fashion unicorn in my vintage clothes" reason for buying comes into play.
Influential words numbers 2 & 3: Jeans and Whatever
News flash: everyone knows how much you love a tee-shirt and jeans combo. They love it just as much as you do. So why don't we talk more about the almost as comfy, equally stylish blouse & jeans, sweatshirt & jeans, and chunky grandpa cardigan & jeans combos. All were go-to outfits of mine the past five months, especially for days when I was commuting back and forth to London for work. More than anything else, I've gained a new appreciation for the style potential in hoodies and sweatshirts. Call it an Off-White or Vetements induced fad all you want, I've jumped on the bandwagon and it's been a comfortable journey so far. I also love the way I feel in a perfectly fitted hoodie (not too baggy, hits just below the hip bone, drawstring tied in a bow). It's oddly empowering to wear an inherently sexless silhouette with a graphic or colour or fit that you find interesting or cool, and pairing that with perfectly fitted pair of straight leg jeans is a yes from me every single time.
Influential word number 4: Simplicity (aka, wearing less pieces of clothing. No, not like that. I wasn't that desperate for packing room.)
This was ignored on the many days I wore overly layered ensembles (think, sleeveless shift dress, turtle neck, tights & combat boots), but most of my days spent plane hopping and what-not required a travel-friendliness I never used to value. Jackets can't be too tight for layers and jeans must be comfortable enough for planes, trains, and buses (who says automobiles anymore, anyway?). That became my norm, which never allowed for much style experimentation on the road. The number of minutes I've spent forcing a carry-on suitcase to close is alarming, so I had to exhaust every outfit combination possible. This was an easier feat when baking in the Italian heat or the sun of the Croatian coastline. Ireland in early spring was colder, windier story. So instead of creating interesting outfits, I relied on the inherent eye-catching ability of the items themselves. Grey turtle necks turned into knitwear with graphics of a pair terriers cuddling, and compact accessories like headscarves became a must have. Going along with this theme, I fell even more in love with dresses, blouses, and skirts in bold prints and colours (like the stunning Ganni wrap dress you see here). Now that I'm home, my every day attire will most likely fall under the category of "over-the-top", at least in comparison to what people are used to seeing me in. This is merely to compensate for lost head-turning opportunities whilst abroad. Once that dies out, however, I think I'll continue this "simplicity" thing. It'll be good practice for my travels to come.
What you see in this post:
Dress - Ganni
Sneakers - Ted Baker
Blouse - Rebecca Minkoff
Jeans - Topshop
Leather Jacket - AllSaints
Sunglasses - Fendi
Thanks for reading.
- Emily
Influential words numbers 2 & 3: Jeans and Whatever
News flash: everyone knows how much you love a tee-shirt and jeans combo. They love it just as much as you do. So why don't we talk more about the almost as comfy, equally stylish blouse & jeans, sweatshirt & jeans, and chunky grandpa cardigan & jeans combos. All were go-to outfits of mine the past five months, especially for days when I was commuting back and forth to London for work. More than anything else, I've gained a new appreciation for the style potential in hoodies and sweatshirts. Call it an Off-White or Vetements induced fad all you want, I've jumped on the bandwagon and it's been a comfortable journey so far. I also love the way I feel in a perfectly fitted hoodie (not too baggy, hits just below the hip bone, drawstring tied in a bow). It's oddly empowering to wear an inherently sexless silhouette with a graphic or colour or fit that you find interesting or cool, and pairing that with perfectly fitted pair of straight leg jeans is a yes from me every single time.
Influential word number 4: Simplicity (aka, wearing less pieces of clothing. No, not like that. I wasn't that desperate for packing room.)
This was ignored on the many days I wore overly layered ensembles (think, sleeveless shift dress, turtle neck, tights & combat boots), but most of my days spent plane hopping and what-not required a travel-friendliness I never used to value. Jackets can't be too tight for layers and jeans must be comfortable enough for planes, trains, and buses (who says automobiles anymore, anyway?). That became my norm, which never allowed for much style experimentation on the road. The number of minutes I've spent forcing a carry-on suitcase to close is alarming, so I had to exhaust every outfit combination possible. This was an easier feat when baking in the Italian heat or the sun of the Croatian coastline. Ireland in early spring was colder, windier story. So instead of creating interesting outfits, I relied on the inherent eye-catching ability of the items themselves. Grey turtle necks turned into knitwear with graphics of a pair terriers cuddling, and compact accessories like headscarves became a must have. Going along with this theme, I fell even more in love with dresses, blouses, and skirts in bold prints and colours (like the stunning Ganni wrap dress you see here). Now that I'm home, my every day attire will most likely fall under the category of "over-the-top", at least in comparison to what people are used to seeing me in. This is merely to compensate for lost head-turning opportunities whilst abroad. Once that dies out, however, I think I'll continue this "simplicity" thing. It'll be good practice for my travels to come.
What you see in this post:
Dress - Ganni
Sneakers - Ted Baker
Blouse - Rebecca Minkoff
Jeans - Topshop
Leather Jacket - AllSaints
Sunglasses - Fendi
Thanks for reading.
- Emily
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