It's an Animal World

Something is afoot in fashion. Or perhaps I should say apaw, or ahoof, because it seems the animal kingdom has conquered the world of fashion. Be it jewellery or t-shirts, your favourite animals are the only things to be wearing right now. And no, I'm not talking about fur... (no animals were harmed in the making of this trend) this is about celebrating our furry friends, not skinning them.

Instead, opt for animal imagery on everything from rings to bracelets. The cuter and kitscher the better. One of my favourite bracelets is this sparkly panda from Butler & Wilson. Its quirkiness makes me smile, and when we go out he always gets a compliment. Only problem is I love him so much that I'm tempted to buy him some friends for company, and have a whole army of animals jangling up my arm. Nothing like embracing a trend...

Alex Monroe is to thank for this animal obsession... when he puts tiny creatures on his necklaces you know it won't be long before the highstreet picks up on it and a trend is born. I love the highstreet versions, and they are certainly more purse-friendly, but if there is still nothing quite like the delicate gold of an Alex Monroe necklace.

Alex Monroe Hummingbird Necklace, £120
This charming owl necklace reminds me of one of my favourite childhood books, "I want my mummy" which was about baby owls. This necklace is just as cute.

Alex Monroe Owl Necklace, £174
My favourite has to be this gold bumblebee that is as sweet as honey.

Alex Monroe Bumblebee Necklace, from £135

I suppose a girl can dream, but at least there are plenty of affordable options on the highstreet until that Alex Monroe necklace finds its way into my life... :)
Flutterby Butterfly... Butterfly studs £9 Miss Selfridge
Swallow earrings £3.50 Miss Selfridge
Owl studs £3.50 Miss Selfridge
Make a buzz... Bee necklace £8 This Charming Girl
Whale necklace £9 This Charming Girl
Stag necklace £8 This Charming Girl
Say Grrrrr... Bear necklace £7.50 This Charming Girl
Butterfly pendant £3 Miss Selfridge
Butterfly ring £6 Topshop
Bug ring £8 Topshop
Eagle ring £10 Topshop
Stag ring £12.50 Topshop
Bear ring £10 Topshop
Glittery duck ring £20 Topshop
This bunny ring has to be my favourite. Cute? Yes. Kitsch? Yes. Bunny? - YES YES YES!

Bunny ring £4 Accessorize

Owl ring £20 Accessorize
It's magic... Bunny in a hat ring £7 Accessorize

As delicate and demure as Alex Monroe's necklaces are, Butler & Wilson is wacky. With colourful jewels to make your mouth water and enough sparkle to make the crown jewels look dull, this is jewellery to make a statement. And a fabulously fun one at that.
Monkey brooch £38 Butler & Wilson
The Prince of Frogs... Frog brooch £28 Butler & Wilson
Leopard brooch £28 Butler & Wilson
Panda brooch £28 Butler & Wilson
Owl brooch £28 Butler & Wilson
Peacock brooch £48 Butler & Wilson
Patriotic Lion brooch £48 Butler & Wilson
Dolphin brooch £38 Butler & Wilson
Panda earrings £48 Butler & Wilson
I'm late, I'm late... Rabbit t-shirt £10 ASOS
Wise Owl t-shirt £12.99 New Look
Panda t-shirt £9.99 New Look
Looking foxy... T-shirt, £20 Tee and Cake and Topshop


So take your pick, and welcome to the animal kingdom.

Libby

The Return of the Cleavage

It's official. Breasts are back. After years of the waif-aesthetic, as inspired by a teenage Kate Moss and as worn by catwalk models and celebrities aplenty, this autumn sees a growth not just in hemlines, but in cup-sizes.

For Autumn / Winter 2010 Prada championed the movement towards a more womanly silhouette with nipped in waists and A-line skirts, however it was in Paris that the real change was seen. Notably, on the Louis Vuitton runway. Not only were Marc Jacobs' clothes designed with an 'all woman' figure in mind (corsets tops, belted waists, full skirts), but his models were all woman too. Laetitia Casta, Bar Refaeli, Catherine McNeil, Karolina Kurkova and Elle Macpherson all made an impressive return to the runway. Whilst their 'attributes' may have been démodé throughout the size-zero-era, the Louis Vuitton catwalk saw them fly the flag for a new feminity with enviable style.

"About time" is all I can say. I have had enough of aspiring for the body shape of a teenage boy. Bring on the curves. Too many times I turn over the page of a magazine just to see yet another depressingly flat chest or desperately hungry body. Where are the 'ins and outs' that make us women?

Let's hope this refreshing new emphasis on the female form will be more than a fleeting fancy. Because I for one am yearning for a corset, full skirt, belted waist and of course, the most stylish of accessories... a fabulous cleavage.

(P.S And if you aren't blessed with a brimming bosom, this is 'Wonderbra's time to shine.)

Libby

The September Issue, and a new love

As Candy Pratts Price, Executive Fashion Director of American Vogue says in the film 'The September Issue': "September is the January of fashion."

Most magazines' September editions come out at the beginning of August when most of us are still waiting hopefully (and praying desperately) for some sort of summer to arrive, yet the September issue is all about change, and notably the arrival of autumn. It is almost as though come the beginning of August the fashion industry give up on summer and look forward instead to the autumn and winter of upheaval to come. Because the transition from spring/summer to autumn/winter trends is usually a drastic one.

Therefore if September is like New Year in the fashion world, then the September issue should be all about celebration. A splendid celebration of fashion; the bulkiest copy of the year, ram-packed with juicy photoshoots and new advertising campaigns, and with a 'frame it and put it on the wall' worthy cover... These are the things I wait for all year and the things that make the early August trip to the newsagent one of anticipation and excitement.

Usually I head straight to Vogue and begin flicking greedily through the pages, blind to the allure of other magazines. However, this year a new contender won my heart. And how did it do it? With a heart of course. A heart of models dressed in pink and red to be precise.

This month Elle stole the show. Perhaps the front cover of the main magazine may not have been that inspiring (Emily Blunt in black lace) but the photo-shoots inside and 'The Runway Edit' supplement made up for (and greatly improved upon) the initial impression.

I particularly love Elle's Runway Edit. Not only does it provide a cohesive and beautifully edited summary of next season's trends, but it captures the thrill of the catwalk and all the things I love most about fashion. And you just need to look at the cover. A love heart of models - now that's what I call a true celebration of fashion.
And inside the main magazine...

I think photo-shoots should tell a story, and what I love about this month's Elle is how good the stories are. Be it one of classic style, femininity or sleek modernity - these are stories I want to read and clothes I want to wear.







I hate to say it, but this month's Vogue was a disappointment. I know, I can't quite believe I said that either. Vogue is my Bible, and my Vogue collection is probably the first possession I would go to rescue in a fire, so I'm not usually one to criticise. But I couldn't help but feel a little... underwhelmed. Kate Moss on the cover? (For the second September issue in a row) I know she is supposed to be THE embodiment of style, and I'm sure her face sells magazines, but it does seem a disappointingly unoriginal image to cover the issue I have waited all year for.

Of course, Vogue is always slick and always beautiful. And of course the clothes are fabulous. And I know the theme was 'Minimal Chic' and that there is a more demure, practical vibe coming in for autumn, but I couldn't help asking myself - where is the magic?

Nonetheless this is still Vogue and there were still images that I loved. My favourites are below...





The Ultimate September Issue

I was looking through my Vogue collection, and pulled out my favourite ever September Issue. September 2007: A cover that makes my mouth-water and 'the new look' photo-shoot which remains one of my favourites. Simple, yes - but then why improve on perfection?









So Elle may be a new love, but Vogue remains my oldest. And deepest.

Libby

A Single Triumph

Watching a new film is often like picking a chocolate at random from a tray of Thornton’s - you’re never quite certain what you’re going to end up with. You could be landed with nougat for example (bad) or you could, on the other hand, stumble across a strawberry cream (good). However, I knew I was in safe hands watching a film directed by the infamous fashion designer, Tom Ford. I had read about his directorial debut in Vogue months ago, and witnessed the furore when ‘A Single Man’ first hit the cinema; glowing reviews and a BAFTA for lead actor Colin Firth. However it was not until a few days ago when I saw the DVD in my local library, that I actually got round to watching it.

It is rare that a film leaves such an impression upon me. Films may be good, but they soon fade and merge into one another. When the end credits rolled on ‘A Single Man’ I was left staring and speechless. That night scenes from the film hovered poignantly in my mind’s eye.
The story tells of George Falconer, a professor whose partner of sixteen years, Jim, died in a car crash. The film follows George’s last day - because George plans on killing himself that evening.

Heartbreak is universal. Although George Falconer is living the anguish of having lost the man he loves, in Colin Firth’s portrayal is a heartbreak that crosses continents, bridges prejudices and reaches out to anyone who has ever fallen in love and knows the pain of a broken heart.

It is simple things that makes the film so special. The opening scene commences with the main character saying he spends each day just trying to be George. In a world where everything is about doing - working, making money, becoming popular, going places - it is often worth reminding ourselves that simply ‘being’ can be enough. For George Falconer simply being is perhaps the hardest thing of all, showing us in stark clarity his tragic motives for suicide.

As you would expect from a designer who turned Gucci into the glamour-emporium it is today, ‘A Single Man’ is a beautifully stylish film. In heady flashbacks perfectly made up faces are bathed in a golden film, whilst an almost grey light and the minimalism of George Falconer’s dress and home reflect his darker moods. Clothes play their part - there is the black suit that George Falconer dons every day, each morning with a new white shirt fresh from its packaging. Or the soft, fluffy jumper worn by Nicholas Hoult’s character that implies an innocence and youth that appeals to his lonely professor.

Relationships within the film are challenging, yet the viewer isn’t alienated - empathy flows naturally. Julianne Moore’s character portrays with sad conviction a love that can never be reciprocated, whilst even the perverse relationship formed between George Falconer and his student, based on a strange curiosity, is believable and understandable.

It would be pointless to describe the beauty of some of the scenes, because every single shot is perfection. Better then to say, watch it and find out. For me ‘A Single Man’ was the best film I have watched in a long time; stylishly and evocatively shot, and giving a poignant view of love, friendship, pain and heartbreak - in short what it means to be human.

Libby

This summer I've been loving...

I hate being pessimistic. So despite the pet hates of the season, there have also been trends I have loved this summer. Top of the list: denim has to be the fabric crush of the year. Its versatility remains the USP that works time and time again - a light blue shirt makes for a breezy option and a summery shade, whilst a denim jacket is practical for showers and cool weather.

If denim was a person they would be annoyingly, effortlessly cool. The kind of person that everyone loves, who is so laid-back they are nearly horizontal, who is All-American beautiful and fabulous fun. In short, the kind of person who leaves a trail of envy wherever they go.

I'm not a jeans girl, and have never understood the allure of premium denim labels that charge hundreds of pounds for a pair of jeans. But that's the fabulous thing about denim - it's not just jeans; it can have a hundred and one different variations. Let me illustrate: denim skirts... (but do you want short, long and high waisted, frayed...? And will that be dark denim, acid wash or pale blue?), dungarees (short or long?), shirts (fitted or 'I stole this from my boyfriend'?), dresses, shorts (again - will that be hotpants or boyfriend style with turn-ups? Will they have frayed edges, or will they be high-waisted?) and not forgetting of course the holy grail of denim - the denim jacket.

Chances are the denim has been in your wardrobe all along. But when Ralph Lauren choose to honour it with a full-blown runway appearance it is time for it to come out and play. This summer denim has been given the fashion recognition it deserves.


I don't know how I managed to live without my denim jacket. I bought mine last summer, and have never looked back.
Like the denim jacket, I don't know how I coped without a denim shirt in my wardrobe. It has been a summer staple that I have worn with everything - either tied at the waist or worn loose and baggy.
I have lived my summer in these shorts. It took me ages to find a pair that didn't leave any bum cheek on display (not a good look) and that were slouchy enough to be comfy in hot weather, but once I found them I didn't take them off.

In the words of Coco Chanel, "Fashion fades, only style remains the same." If this is true, then denim is style. The favourite of nations, and the most durable of fabrics, it will always have a place on the fashion scene, and in our hearts.

Libby

Reality Check... Clogs, Parkas and Harem pants

Fashion wouldn't be fashion without the sometimes ridiculous. However when what appears to be a distasteful joke makes its way from the runway to the masses, things have gone too far. It is time to pull our noses from the glossy pages of magazines, wake up from the camera flash induced slumber and look around. In short, a reality check is often in order.

Cue my three pet hates of current trends. Number one, clogs. I may adore Marc Jacobs, and it may be considered sacrilegious to say this, but the Louis Vuitton bearded clogs pictured above are one ugly pair of shoes. Said shoes marched down the runway in the spring / summer 2010 show, and after clogs made a clomping appearance at Chanel, they have bulldozered their way onto the high-street too.

I am not saying I am completely averse to a pair of clogs; Alexa Chung managed to look quite the chic young fashionista in her Chanel pair. However Alexa Chung is also Alexa Chung and would look fabulous in a (yes I'm going to say the cliché) sack. Therefore taking my style tips from her wardrobe is a risky business with potentially catastrophic results.

Clogs are one of these potential catastrophes. Firstly my ankles are not Alexa Chungesque, and my legs more 'sturdy' than 'svelt'. Much more useful for walking and running, however not well suited to a clog. No spilt tears however, as these are after all, wooden shoes of abnormally large proportions.

Finally, health and safety should also be considered when choosing an outfit. Have you ever tried walking in a pair of clogs? Or running up a flight of stairs? Any pair of shoes that come with a health warning of potential broken nose / spine aren't really the shoes for me.
Pet hate number 2, the parka. A wet-weather favourite of both 90s teenagers and Liam Gallagher, the parka has now made its come back. However with style icons such as these I must admit I am not running to Topshop to pick up my own version. Apparently the grunge style of a parka is a great way to add a 'hard edge' to a floral tea dress or floaty skirt. However the word 'grunge' is enough to make me cringe and reach desperately for something pretty. The word itself just isn't very attractive, and neither is a parka. Of course, parkas have been featured in Vogue shoots for months, however as per the Alexa Chung theory I choose not to make a judgement on an item of clothing based on how it looks on a 16 year old supermodel.

I'm sorry, but when I see a khaki parka I simply imagine arms laden with plastic shopping bags, and bad trainers splashing through muddy English puddles.
Finally, and in my opinion the worst of all sins - the harem pants. I say the worst of sins, as these are the offenders that have managed to make the biggest impact on the high street, tarnishing many a store with their unsightly presence. In fact so extreme is the epidemic that it seems jeans or harem pants are in fact the only 2 styles of trousers in existence.

Why, oh why, would I choose and pay money for a pair of trousers that make my bum look BIGGER and my legs SHORTER? I'm afraid there are no answers to this question. All explanations escape me. Worst of all; the tracksuit bottom harem pants. My two least favourite trousers merged into one ugly garment. Tracksuit bottoms should in my opinion be reserved strictly for sporting activities. And sitting watching the entire SATC boxset is NOT a sporting activity.

Take my advice and simply avoid the harem pants. The nappy look is not a good look. Perhaps it means I'm not bang on trend, but to be honest I don't mind. I think I'll sit this one out if that's ok.

Libby